Harry Potter and the Darkness Within
by TwistedFilms
Summary: AU. After killing the father of the infant Harry Potter, Lord Voldemort unearthed an entity of such hatred that it made him flee in terror. As the years went by, Severus Snape became his new legal guardian, and was sworn to secrecy by Albus Dumbledore. Thinking Severus to be his biological father, Harry grew up inheriting Severus passion for alchemy. But darker days are coming.
1. Moving Day

**IMPORTANT: Read chapter 10 now for news (regardless of where you currently are in the story).**

 **A/N: I own absolutely nothing. Everything belongs to J.K Rowling. My house, my car, my computer, it`s all J.K now.**

 **Side note: This is my first attempt at creating a serious Harry Potter fanfiction. I will try my best to make an interesting story for you, but it will most likely be trash, so please go easy on me. If you for some godforsaken reason actually enjoy this story, then I regret to inform you that you may have a brain disorder, but there is a cure. Suicide.**

"Harry, did you remember your Blemish Blitzer?" Lily Potter`s voice echoed through the hallways of their little home in Godric`s Hollow. "I know your face gets all itchy when you use it, but it`s so good for your skin!"

"More importantly, did you remember your Potion-making kit? I do hope the teachers at Hogwarts will let you use your own instead of those horrible low-quality ones they have in the classrooms", his father, Severus Potter, boomed.

"Severus, don`t say that! Dumbledore might hear you!" Harry`s mother joked as she approached her husband from behind, wrapping her arms around his waist. Severus turned around to face her, sighing slightly as he did.

"I do understand that it was meant as a joke, but when it comes Dumbledore, I presume something like that could actually be plausible".

As his parents shared a few jokes on Dumbledore`s expense, Harry was busy packing down the last of his possessions. He had brought with him all the items that was on the first year supply list, including his new wand made of holly wood, with a phoenix feather as its core. Harry had also been sure to bring some extra ingredients for potion-making, because he was positive the teachers at Hogwarts wouldn`t willingly supply him with fresh ingredients every day, in order for him to keep on with his personal studying of the potion-making arts.

Harry let out a long sigh as he studied his now rather empty room. His eyes automatically fell on his bookcase, and Harry couldn`t help but reminisce about all the evenings he had spent in his bed, reading books. His parents had forced him to read about Hogwarts, including its founders and Houses. He had also gained some basic knowledge about how the House Cup worked, which would undoubtedly be useful once he got sorted into his House. Harry loved reading, and he had devoted a lot of his time growing up to books. He had studied multiple aspects of the wizarding world, sucking in as much knowledge as he possibly could. As a matter of fact, just yesterday, he had read an interesting book about Kings Cross Station, which provided him with some amusing background information.

After studying the schedule he would be following at Hogwarts, Harry had been disappointed after he realized that he only had Potions class once every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If it was up to Harry, he would make it mandatory for all students to have Potions class at least once every day, because of the sheer extensiveness of the subject. But, since Hogwarts was a Wizarding School with way more than just one subject, Harry could, even with his biased opinion, see why it wasn`t possible for something like that to be the case. It would leave no room for other subjects.

" _It doesn`t matter much, I suppose"_ , Harry thought to himself as he dragged his suitcase with him towards the living room, where his parents were waiting for him. _"I`ll still have more than enough time to study potions on my own. I did bring a potion-making kit with me, after all, together with my father`s personal recipe book"._

Being raised under the same roof as Severus Potter had led Harry to take up his father`s interest in potion-making, and Severus had begun teaching Harry how to make potions at a very young age. This had led Harry to become even more interested in the subject, and before long, he was making potions he wasn`t supposed to make before his third year in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Severus had been there for him every step of the way, constantly telling him what he did wrong and how to fix it.

Harry loved his father, and he couldn`t imagine how horrible it would`ve been if he had grown up in a different family. Maybe he would have been an adopted child, living in a home with parents that hated him. Harry shuddered just from the thought of it.

"Are you ready to leave, young man?" Severus asked him, putting his hand on Harry`s head. "Hogwarts is a remarkable school, led by a remarkable wizard, and you wouldn`t want to be left behind by the train, would you now?"

Harry looked up at his father with a big grin on his face.

"I have no intentions of doing so, dear father", he answered. Severus stared at him for a moment, before letting out a long sigh.

"You mustn`t talk like that, Harry. You will scare the other kids. For once in your life, try to act your age. You aren`t a Harvard professor, you are merely an eleven year old boy"

Harry muttered something about being vastly superior in terms of intelligence to other eleven-year-olds, and Severus couldn`t help but shake his head.

"Harry, you can`t go around thinking everyone is an idiot. It won`t do you any good, especially not at Hogwarts".

There was an awkward moment of silence as Harry grudgingly agreed to be a "nice boy".

"I`m going to miss you", Harry blurted out, as a lump the size of a car appeared in his throat. No, he was not going to cry here. Not now. He had to be strong, he had to show his father that he was ready for this. Severus looked down at his beloved son, pride swelling in his chest. Harry had grown up to be a man of good qualities, despite his crusade against people of lower intelligence. Severus was not worried in the slightest about sending Harry off to Hogwarts. He knew that Harry would grow to love the place, just like he had all those years ago.

"Now, off you go! Wouldn`t want to make your mother wait any longer", Severus said, before giving his son a final hug. "Good luck, my boy". Harry smiled back at him, before slowly walking out the front door. Severus stayed behind, watching his son take his first steps into the life of a real wizard.

…

"Ahh, there you are, Harry! I was starting to think we might miss the train", his mother, Lily Potter, said to him as he walked out of the house. "Now, are you sure you brought everything?"

"Yes mom, I`m positive", Harry answered as he dumped his suitcase into the back of the car. His mother sent him a worried look, before shrugging it off. If he had forgot something, she could always send it to him with an owl.

Harry took one last glance at the house he had grown up in as they pulled out of the driveway. His father stood in the doorway, waving at them with a satisfied smile on his face. Harry smiled and waved back. He was going to miss this place.

…

It was the first of September in the year 1991, at exactly 10.50 am that Harry, for the first time, stood on platform 9¾. Fun fact, it was Evangeline Orpington, Minister from 1849-1855, who came up with the solution of adding a concealed platform at the newly built King's Cross station, which would be accessible only to witches and wizards. Overall, this had been a good idea, and it had worked well all things considered, but sadly, there had been several incidents with wizards and witches dropping their suitcases full of biting spellbooks and potion ingredients all over the polished floor, in plain sight for the Muggles to see.

Luckily enough, there were several Ministry of Magic employees that stood guard at King`s Cross Station, ready to deal with such situations. Even though the Muggles had an extraordinary ability to completely oversee any signs of magic, even if it was happening right in front of their faces, the Ministry didn`t fancy their chances, and usually always wiped or altered their memory, if a Muggle should happen to see something along those lines.

Harry had learned all of this from the book he read yesterday.

He stared in awe at the bustling life in front of his eyes. King`s Cross Station was a massive place, and even though Platform 3/4 was technically located inside a barrier that separated platforms nine and ten, it was still very huge. Wizards and witches of all shapes and sizes walked past him, some dressed in formal black robes, and others just wearing casual attire, for instance a hoodie.

"Okay then Harry, here we are", said Lily Potter, standing right next to him. "The only thing left for you to do, is to board the train. All of your luggage has already been carried inside, so don`t worry about that".

Harry looked up at his mother, and Lily could see the worry in his eyes. She sighed, and gave him a big hug.

"Hey, cheer up little man. You are going to Hogwarts! I`m sure you are going to make lots of friends, and have a great time".

Harry stared at his mother for a moment before answering.

"But mother, I don`t want a bunch of halfwits as my friends! Did you know that a large portion of the wizarding community still believe in blood purity? It`s absolutely ludicrous!"

Roughly about 98% of the entire world`s population could easily be considered idiots. Harry was unusually bright for his age, and the other kids had a tendency to think he was weird. Harry didn`t like that.

Lily let out a jaded sigh, before shaking her head.

"When will you learn? Well, its time to get going now! Good luck on your trip to Hogwarts! You have to send us letters at least once every week, to let us know how you are doing!" Lily said.

Harry rolled his eyes, and gently pushed his mother aside.

"I`ll be okay, mother", he said as he stared at the train in front of him. It was a marvelous sight, and it had a certain rustic charm over it. His fellow students were almost finished boarding, and only a few remained on the platform, saying their final goodbyes to friends and family.

After a couple more hugs and kisses from his mother, Harry finally found himself standing inside of the train, looking for an empty compartment. They all seemed to be taken, until he finally came across one with only a lonely girl inside. She was currently reading a book of sorts. Harry decided to man up, and go inside to introduce himself. He slowly opened the door, and sat down opposite of the girl, facing her.

"Hello there, you perfectly functional member of the wizarding society", he said nonchalantly.

"My name is Harry Potter, and I`m a new student to Hogwarts".

Needless to say, Harry wasn`t exactly the best at socializing with other human beings. He had always been considered somewhat of a nutjob.

The girl looked up from her book, and studied him for a minute.

"I`m Hermione. Hermione Granger".

…

 _Dumbledore turned around to face Severus again, his eyes filled with curiosity._

" _You intend to marry Lily Potter?"_

 _Severus begrudgingly locked eyes with him, and it was clear that he was already determined to marry her._

" _Yes, Albus. I wish to marry Lily. I am aware of the fact that my position and role at this school is a delicate matter, but this is something I must do. She needs someone, you must understand. I love her, Albus, and even though the loss of James still weighs heavily on her, she loves me too"._

 _Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore sighed heavily, and a wave of tiredness hit him. Severus didn`t know the full truth. Albus had never told him about what really happened in Godric`s Hollow that cold October night. The public believed that James`s heroic sacrifice, combined with Harry`s young spirit, had been what had saved Harry and his mother. The story said that James`s soul had merged with Harry`s, creating a powerful magical barrier that shielded him from harm. This was, alas, not true._

 _But, since James Potter was no longer in this world, Harry would need a new protector, until he got old enough to protect himself. He would need someone to look after him, someone he could look up to as a father. Maybe, just maybe, Severus could fill that spot._

 _Dumbledore looked at him for what felt like an eternity, before finally nodding slightly._

" _From this day forward, you will be known as Severus Potter. Your real name will still be Severus Snape, but on every legal document and to everyone else, you will have the last name of "Potter". Harry must not know. He must be kept in a closed environment, surrounded by no one else than his closest family. That means you and Lily, Severus. You will tell him you are his real father, and you will Obliviate him, and remove the memories he has of that dreadful night in October. He is not ready yet, Severus. He cannot know, it will ruin him._

 _Severus stared intently at Albus, taking in every word he said. He had to do this. For Lily, for Harry. After Albus was done talking, Severus nodded, and his face broke out into a grateful smile._

" _Thank you Albus, you have no idea how much this means to me", he said, still smiling._

 _But Dumbledore didn`t smile back. He had to tell him. He had to._

" _Do you want to know what happened in Godric`s Hollow that night, Severus?" Albus said in a voice filled with grave seriousness. The smile on Severus`s face vanished within a second, and a serious look took its place._

" _What are you talking about, Albus?" Severus asked, surprised but serious._

" _The reason Voldemort didn`t kill Harry Potter that night wasn`t because of his father`s sacrifice. It was because of something else entirely", Dumbledore said with a sad voice. All the blood in Severus`s face drained away, leaving him white as a sheet._

" _Wha… what happened, Albus?"_

 _Dumbledore gave him a sad smile._

" _He ran, Severus. He ran because he was afraid of what lies dormant within Harry Potter"._

…

"Did… did you just say… Harry Potter?" Hermione asked with a surprised tone. This was The Boy Who Lived? The one and only? She couldn`t believe it. The chance of him getting on the same train, sitting down in the same compartment as her was so slim, she could barely comprehend it.

"Umm… Yes, I`m positive that is who I am, miss Granger", Harry answered, confusion dripping from his words.

"Oh my god, I can`t believe it! Harry Potter! Right here! Now that is quite the surprise, I must say", she laughed, Harry looking more confused than ever.

"If you don`t mind me asking, how do you know my name?"

Hermione`s laughter stopped as fast as it started. Her eyes widened with shock, and she looked him straight in the eye.

"What, surely YOU of all people must know about…"

She was interrupted by the sound of the door sliding open, and in came a young boy with flaming orange hair. He was so ginger, in fact, that Harry could almost feel the vacuum where his soul should`ve been. He sat down next to Harry, a wide grin on his face.

"Hey, I`m Ron, Ron Weasley". The boy uttered the words with clear pride. Hermione was taken aback by the sudden entry of this random boy, so Harry decided to go first.

"Hello, I`m Harry Potter. Nice to meet you".

"Hey, I`m Ron", the boy answered. Harry stared at him for a second.

"Yes, I heard you the first time, **Ron** ".

"And I`m Hermione".

A moment of awkwardness followed, but it didn`t seem to affect Ron, he just sat there with a dumb smile on his face. Suddenly, the boy`s eyes flew open.

"Wait, did you just say Harry Potter!?" he almost screamed. He sounded so upset, in fact, that Harry wondered for a second if the boy had been in contact with the Alihotsy Draught potion, which was known to cause hysteria.

"Yes, why does everyone keep assuming I`m not who I say I am?" Harry muttered.

"Wicked!" Ron said, still with the dumb grin on his face.

It was obvious that Ron wasn`t exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. Harry thought that if he concentrated hard enough, he would be able to notice every time a new thought came into the boy`s head.

"Well, I don`t know if "wicked" is a very accurate description of my name, but sure, I`ll take it as a compliment", Harry said after a long pause. Ron kept smiling. It was starting to freak Harry out a little, to be honest. Was that the only emotion the boy was capable of showing?

"So anyways, Hermione, you were about to say…?" Harry said, urging her to continue. Hermione shook her head from side to side a couple of times, before seemingly recovering her focus.

"Yes, what was it again… Oh, that`s right, the story of The Boy Who Lived! But, if you are who you say you are, how come you don`t know of what is practically your own legend?" she asked suspiciously.

"Miss Granger, I am absolutely certain I have no idea what you are talking about. My birth name is Harry James Potter, my mother is Lily Potter and my father is Severus Potter. I grew up in Godric`s Hollow, and I have never heard of this so-called "Boy Who Lived", so if you could just stop confusing me with this "legend" crap and tell me just what the hell is going on here I would be eternally grateful to you", Harry said, bursting out with everything he had on his mind in an instant.

Both Hermione and Ron looked completely shocked, and Harry could feel his face turning red. He had a tendency to go on random rants for no apparent reason, which had contributed to a lot of awkward moments in his childhood. It definitely held some relevance as to why Harry had never had many friends in his early life.

"Sorry", Harry muttered silently, his eyes fixed on the ground.

"Umm, okay, so what I was about to say, is that…", Hermione started, only to be interrupted by the door sliding open once again. This time, a black-haired boy stood in the opening, his eyes scanning the compartment nervously.

"H… hello, my name is Neville", the boy stuttered.

"Hey, I`m Ron", said Ron.

" _Oh for the love of… That must`ve been the third time he has said that in the last two minutes",_ Harry thought to himself, slowly shaking his head.

"Is there room in here for one more?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, there is now. I need some fresh air, so you can take my seat", Harry said, tiredness creeping into his voice. He couldn`t handle being around lesser intellectuals for more than ten minutes at a time. The boy reluctantly switched places with Harry, and as Harry headed deeper into the train, he heard Hermione introducing herself to the new boy, and Ron chiming in:

"Hey, I`m Ron".

…

 **A/N: This first chapter is written purely to set up the universe my fanfiction will take place in. In this world, Harry`s mom, Lily Potter, didn`t die the night Voldemort attacked their home in Godric`s Hollow. Voldemort only killed James Potter, and Lily remarried Severus Snape several years later. Harry grew up believing Severus was his biological father, and he has no clue about what happened that night, or the fact that he is indeed "The Boy Who Lived". This means that Harry has no scar on his forehead.**

 **If this chapter caught your attention, please leave a review, as it helps me grow and develop as a writer. Other than that, I will see you guys in the next chapter.**

 **-Twisted**


	2. Hogwarts Express

**A/N: J.K me here and J.K me there. Then again, I do own nothing.**

Harry stared absentmindedly at the northern scenery that whizzed past as the train made its way towards Hogwarts. They had been going for over an hour now, and Harry had yet to return to the compartment he had originally been in. He found the morning air refreshing, and it was nice to have a change of scenery every once in a while.

Harry had stayed out here in the gangway connection for quite a while now. He actually preferred it to being inside of the train itself, due to the fact that it was so heavily loaded with low IQ kids. Harry had a tendency to avoid social interaction whenever possible, especially with non-intelligent humans. He liked it best when he was left alone with his thoughts.

To be quite frank, Harry had no clue what to expect from Hogwarts, and all that anyone had told him about the school, was that it was wonderful. He hadn`t seen the school with his own eyes yet, but he had read that it was a massive stone castle, resting on the edge of a mountain, next to a beautiful lake. Harry had, with his never-ending critical thinking, thought that their opinion of the school may very well be biased, and that the school itself would prove to be quite underwhelming.

Harry was abruptly cut off from his thoughts by a loud grumbling sound coming from his stomach, indicating that he was, in fact, starving. Harry had overheard some students talking about something called the "Honeydukes Express", which was apparently a trolley of sorts that you could buy all sorts of goodies from. It travelled up and down the train, and stopped at each individual compartment.

Harry decided that the best course of action would be to seek out this trolley, so he could get his hands on something he could eat to satiate his hunger. His stomach was now growling to the point which Harry though he might have had a sip of a Caxambu Style Borborygmus Potion, which provoked stomach growling. Why such a potion existed in the first place was a question Harry had asked himself many times.

After a couple of minutes of walking, he found the trolley. It was filled to the brim with all sorts of candy, and it was pushed by a plump, old lady with gray hair. The trolley itself looked heavy, and he wondered if the old lady was under the effects of a Strength Potion, which would, in theory, grant her somewhat superhuman strength. Harry had, sadly, never been able to make one himself, due to lack of ingredients. But he could clearly see why such a potion could come in handy. Perhaps she had combined it with a Girding Potion, which would give her extra endurance as well.

Harry shook his head, and walked up to the old lady. He was probably overthinking the situation, like usual. The lady looked up at him with a bright and warming smile on her face, and said in a raspy voice:  
"Anything off the trolley, dear?"

Harry looked at the vast selection of items he could choose from. There was Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Cauldron Cakes, Chocolate Frogs, Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, Jelly Slugs, Liquorice Wands and Pumpkin Pasties, to name a few. After thinking about it for a little while, Harry decided on some Cauldron Cakes and a few Liquorice Wands.

As he was handing over some money to the old lady, Harry noticed another boy approaching the trolley. He had blonde hair, combed backwards in a slick haircut and a smug look on his face. The boy noticed Harry staring at him, and raised an eyebrow, apparently surprised. Harry immediately fixed his eyes on the ground, ashamed of being caught staring at a stranger. He finished his purchase, and started heading for the compartment where Hermione, Ron and Neville would be waiting for him.

As he was about to pass the blonde-haired boy to get to his compartment, the boy stepped out in front of Harry, halting his advance. He looked at Harry with a keen interest in his eyes.

"So, you are the one they call Harry Potter then, I presume", the blonde-haired boy said. Harry looked at him, surprised.

"How do you know my name?"

"Oh come on, every wizard and witch in the entire wizarding world knows the name Harry Potter!" the boy said, rolling his eyes as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Harry muttered to himself. The blonde rolled his eyes yet again.

"Tell me, are you pretending to be stupid, or are you just that dumb?"

"What`s your name?" Harry asked, ignoring Draco`s insult.

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy", the blonde answered.

"Malfoy..." Harry was absolutely certain he had heard that name somewhere. "Oh, as in the wealthy, pure-blood wizarding family! I read about your family` history once", Harry remembered.

"Of course you did, you obnoxious little git", Malfoy said. Harry raised an eyebrow, not impressed by the swearing. "We are only the most prominent and Noble family in the entire wizarding world".

"Well, noble you may be, but you still believe in blood purity, which is beyond ridiculous", Harry answered with a slighty mocking tone.

Now it was Malfoy`s turn to be surprised. His facial expression turned to stone, and he looked at Harry for a long time, before finally opening his mouth again to speak.

"I will not accept such insults from you, Potter. Purity of blood is one of the founding principles of the Malfoy family, and we treasure ourselves on our pure-blood". Harry stared at him for a second, reminding himself of his parents` advice to be kind.

"Well, I do apologize if I insulted you Draco, I just don`t agree with your view on blood. My "area of expertise", if you will, is alchemy, and I prefer potions to spells", Harry stated. Draco sent him a smug look.

"As a matter of fact, I`m pretty knowledgeable within the field of alchemy myself. I had one of the best private tutors in the British wizarding world", Malfoy said smugly.

"And who might that be?" Harry asked.

"Severus Snape", Malfoy said with an even more smug face. Harry was sure that Malfoy had already reached the pinnacle of smugness, but somehow, he managed to go even higher than Harry thought humanly possible, and Harry was sure that if Malfoy managed to look smugger now, he would transcend and become omnipotent.

"Wait… what did you just say?" Harry asked, all the blood draining from his face.

"Severus Snape", Malfoy said once more.

Harry couldn`t believe it. His father had been this boy`s private tutor? Why didn`t he know about this? His father never talked about work, not once. But to think that he had been privately teaching other kids alchemy, besides Harry, was almost like a punch in the face. He knew that it was not a reasonable thought, but he had always treasured the time he spent learning alchemy from his father, and that Severus had been teaching the same things to other children, kind of ruined the "magic" of it, so to speak.

Then, another thought struck him.

"Wait, Draco, you said Severus Snape. My father`s name is Severus Potter?" Harry asked, suspicion creeping into his voice. Draco`s expression changed from the stone face into a quizzical one, and he furrowed his brows.

"I`m fairly certain he introduced himself as Severus Snape, Potter. Are you suggesting that I am lying to you?"

"No no, nothing of the like... I just found that detail a little... odd..." Harry`s voice trailed off. The name "Snape" triggered something in the back of his mind. He just couldn`t seem to... grasp it...

Harry shook his head violently from side to side, trying to get rid of the thought. It gave him a headache.

"Well, this has certainly been interesting, Potter. I do hope we get the chance to talk some more in the future", Malfoy said to him, before walking past him and continuing down the train, without waiting for a response. Harry stood there for a while, taking in all this new information. He made a mental list of important things to do in the future.

Befriend Draco Malfoy

Talk to Hermione Granger about "The Boy Who Lived"

Obtain godhood

That third one was going to take some time, though.

Just as Harry was finishing his mental list, a horn sounded through the hallways of the train, signalizing that they were about to arrive at Hogwarts. Harry quickly made his way back to the compartment where Hermione, Ron and Neville had been, in order to pick up his jacket. All around him, people were putting on their robes and gathering their possessions.

When Harry arrived at the compartment, Hermione smiled at him.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"I went to get some fresh air and some food, and I accidentally stumbled upon this boy in the hallway, and we started chatting. Apparently, my father was his private tutor in the alchemy subject", Harry answered.

"Who was he?" Ron butted in.

"He introduced himself as Draco Malfoy".

Ron`s smile disappeared, and he sent Harry a worried look.

"You better stay away from him and his lot. They are bad people, Harry".

Harry didn`t like it when people told him what to do, so he immediately went into a defensive state, purely out of habit.

"I`ll find my own friends, thank you", he said. Ron got a surprised look on his face, and an awkward silence filled the room. But Harry was completely unfazed by this. He grabbed his jacket, sent Hermione a cheeky smile, and headed out into the hallway.

…

As he closed the sliding door behind him, he heard one of the older students yelling for the first-years to gather `round. He opened the door again, and told the others to follow him. Hermione sent him what could only be interpreted as a confused smile. It didn`t take long for Harry and his friends to find out where they were supposed to go. The first-years were being led outside by two Prefects, and Harry and his party joined up with the stream of young students heading outside.

The cold Autumn air felt crisp against Harry`s skin. They were standing on a cobblestone platform, in what appeared to be the middle of the woods. All around him, other students were gathering their possessions, and heading down the long platform, towards what could only be described as a colossal man. He was easily twice the height of any student, and he towered above them like some watchful guardian. He wasn`t omitting a scary presence though. Underneath a massive, brown beard, Harry could see a friendly smile. The man had so much hair, in fact, that Harry wondered if he had taken some of the Manegro Potion, which would cause hair to grow out rapidly.

After gathering his belongings, Harry, together with the rest of his friends, headed towards the huge man. He stood with his arms crossed, shouting instructions to the students.

"Gather `round, students!" he shouted with a thick accent.

A horde of first-years was already standing around him. Luckily, the man was so tall he had no need for a podium.

"Okay kids, welcome to Hogwarts! My name is Hagrid, I`m gonna split you up into groups of four, and you are gonna follow me down `here, okay?" the man said, addressing the whole crowd with a deep, bellowing voice. He then proceeded to start sorting them into groups. It took a grand total of thirty minutes to get everyone sorted out.

Harry got placed in a group with Hermione, Draco and a girl named Pansy, whom Draco seemed to know. They all followed Hagrid down a long, shady path that cut straight through the woods. Whilst they were walking, Malfoy came up besides Harry, and sighed loud enough for Harry to hear it.

"I really don`t understand why they do this with every new batch of first-years", Malfoy said, a hint of frustration in his voice. "It is, in my opinion, completely unnecessary and just an overall waste of time".

Harry turned his head and looked at the boy walking beside him. Draco still had that smug grin on his face, and for some reason, Harry found it extremely annoying.

"And why is it a "huge waste of time", then?" Harry asked, pretending to care about Draco`s opinion.

"Well, they could have just taken us straight to the castle, like they do with all the other students, but instead we have to go on this extremely tedious boat ride, just so they can show off Hogwarts from a good angle. I think they are trying to impress us with the scenery", Draco snorted, shaking his head. He obviously didn`t care much for such affairs.

"Draco, for students as vastly intelligent as us, such proceedings may have a limited effect on our emotional spectrum, but for normal kids our age, a boat ride with an impressive view over our new living quarters and school will most likely have a positive effect on their feelings", Harry said, as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

Draco stared at him for what felt like a good minute, before finally shaking his head in resignment.

"You are good with words, Potter. It is a trait that can serve you well, if one knows how to use it", the blonde-haired boy answered, looking at Harry with a calculating look. "You might be more interesting than I originally thought".

Harry sent Draco a thoughtful smile, before mentally noting to himself that Draco was as posh as one could possibly get. They continued their walk in silence, keeping their thoughts to themselves. Malfoy was a rare breed, as intelligent as he was smug. It was clear that he had grown up equal to that of a spoiled brat, but at the same time, he had the manners of a member of royalty.

Before long, the woods opened up and the lake came into view. It was a beautiful sight, that much was for sure. All around him students gasped as they spotted the watery surface, and the boats docked down by the shore. Draco simply shook his head and muttered a few words about how simple the other students were.

After a while, all of the students stood on the small beach, waiting to be directed onto a boat. Harry, Draco, Hermione and Pansy were one of the first groups to get a boat, and as such, they had a front-row seat of the beautiful scenery. Harry noted that Pansy and Draco were arguing about something, when Hermione turned to Harry.

"So, Harry, which House do you want to get sorted into?"

Harry racked his brain for the answer, but to be quite frank, he hadn`t really given it much thought. Ravenclaw would be the obvious answer, due to his intelligence, but did he really want to be a Ravenclaw? Perhaps even Slytherin would be a considerable option? Harry was uncertain and couldn`t do anything besides shaking his head.

"I haven`t really given it much thought, but I think I would like to be a Ravenclaw", he answered, but something about how he uttered the words made Hermione suspicious.

"You aren`t completely sure, are you?" she asked.

Harry furrowed his brows a little, but nodded. Hermione sighed, before sending him a small smile.

"That`s okay, it`s perfectly natural to be a little confused before the Sorting Ceremony. Just remember that the Sorting Hat takes your opinion into consideration when assigning you to a house", she added. Harry processed this new information, before answering Hermione`s smile with a smile of his own

"Oh, okay, that's nice to know", he answered. "You are as smart as you are pretty, huh." Even though it was dark, the beautiful moonlight that reflected on the shimmering water was enough for Harry to see the deep shade of red Hermione`s face had turned. She quickly hid her face behind her bushy hair, before smiling meekly at him and muttering a quick "thanks". Harry on the other hand, felt like he had just pulled off something extremely smooth. He`d seen a character in one of his mother`s "Moving Muggle Stories" say the same line, much to the same effect.

The boat ride continued, and Harry absentmindedly stared at the beautiful castle in the distance. He couldn`t bring himself to appreciate the impressive scenery because his mind kept circling back to the Sorting Ceremony. He actually had a question for the Sorting Hat, and hopefully, since the Sorting Hat was rumored to be roughly around a 1000 years old, it would have an answer for him.

Harry`s train of thought was disturbed by someone letting out an awkward cough behind him. It was Hermione.

"Harry, we are almost there", she said.

Harry looked up, and sure enough, the castle was definitely a lot closer than it had been just a moment earlier. After a couple of minutes, the boat came up to a small landing area near the base of the Hogwarts castle. They all got out of the boat, and lined up, waiting for Hagrid to give them further instructions.

It took them quite some time before all of the first-years were perfectly lined up and ready to go, but Harry wasn`t in a hurry. He was beginning to feel what a normal person would call: "The butterflies". There was some spread chatter here and there, and it was obvious that the students were excited to finally be here.

Harry had to admit, standing right under it, the school did look marvelous. The castle itself was a seven-story high building supported by magic, and it was rumored to have around one-hundred-and-forty staircases throughout its many towers, turrets and dungeons. It was made from stone, which emitted a soft light during the day.

Hermione gently leaned over to Harry, and whispered to him:

"Due to the sheer amount of magic used to create this castle, it was rumored that it eventually developed some kind of sentience or self-awareness, and it is apparently littered with moving staircases, talking portraits and false doors. It`s built by four of the greatest wizards of all time, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. The individual houses of the school have been named after these four wizards, and their traits".

Harry sent Hermione an impressed look, and he could see her face breaking up into a big smile.

"I have read "Hogwarts: A History" a million times over, so this is something I know", she shrugged.

Hagrid got out of the last boat, and went up to address the crowd. He easily towered above the group, and even the ones all the way at the back of the crowd could see him.

"Okay, students, follow me", he said, his deep voice sending ripples down Harry`s spine. They all followed him up a big, stone staircase, and into a small room. Here they would wait for the Sorting Ceremony to start, and the crowd burst into a state of endless chatter. Harry noticed Ron standing alone, and when their eyes met, Ron started walking towards Harry and his group.

"Hey guys, are you pumped for this? I sure am!" he proclaimed, with a big grin on his face. Harry felt like consuming about a liter of the Death Potion after hearing that. At least he would die with a happy memory on his mind. Harry was convinced that every time Ron spoke, he lowered the IQ of everyone within a ten-meter radius.

The second Draco saw Ron, his eyes turned dark, and he was staring daggers at the Weasley. He obviously wasn`t very fond of the Weasley family line.

"Ahh, here we have the perfect example of an underdeveloped homo sapiens. I`m sure that as the rest of us took a step forward in evolution, the Weasley`s were still shagging monkeys", Draco said mockingly, an evil glint in his eyes. Ron stopped dead in his tracks, and stared back at Malfoy with a hostile look.

"Malfoy! Why do you always have to be such an asshole?", Ron almost shouted, waving his hands around. Malfoy seemed to find this highly amusing, and just laughed at Ron`s statement. Hermione stepped out in front of the two boys, and held up her arms in a defensive stance.

"Okay, that`s plenty enough, thank you!" she said loudly. "Don`t start a fight now, the Sorting Ceremony is about to start!" Draco stared at her for a second, before turning around.

"Granger`s right. I wouldn`t want to waste my energy trying to speak with a human with the same IQ level as a brick", he said nonchalantly. Ron was practically trembling at this point, but Hermione managed to calm him down somehow. Harry had pulled out an Elixir to Induce Euphoria from his jacket, that his father had brewed for him before he left for Hogwarts. It was a pretty rare potion, one that he wouldn`t be brewing before his sixth year at Hogwarts, but he had decided that in case things went south, he would give it to Ron, so Draco`s insult would simply bounce off him.

Suddenly, the door in front of them opened with a loud bang, and an old witch stepped out in front of them.

"Welcome, new students, to Hogwarts! My name is Professor McGonagall, and if you would all just follow me, so we can get this Sorting Ceremony started", she said, her voice heightened by a magical spell, so that everyone could hear her. The first-years lined up again, ready to enter the Great Hall. Hermione sent him a friendly smile, and whispered to him:

"Are you ready?"

Harry looked at her for a second, before nodding and returning her smile.

"Yes, I think I`m ready".

…

 **A/N: First off, I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for the awkward romance in this chapter. I have no idea how eleven-year-olds flirt these days, so I figured this would be somewhat realistic, considering their age. I would also like to address that the reason Draco doesn`t despise Hermione yet, is because he doesn`t know that she is indeed Muggleborn, because of her extensive knowledge of everything magic.**

 **I hope you guys can be so kind and leave a review. Reviews really help me grow as an author, and I would appreciate it tremendously if you could just do that. It doesn`t take long, and you don`t even need an account.**

 **That`s all from me, and I will see you guys in the next chapter.**

 **-Twisted**


	3. The Sorting Ceremony

**A/N: When you open the door, you will see J.K Rowling standing there, waiting for you. She will embrace you with open arms, and welcome you to the fandom of the Harry Potter universe. All of this belongs to her. I own nothing.**

 **Side note: I am sorry if this is not 100% accurate to the canon material, this is an alternate universe after all, so I have altered some things. Please don`t be mad at me.**

Harry couldn`t help but gasp as they entered the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Thousands upon thousands of candles floated in the air, illuminating the area below, banishing any trace of shadows. The ceiling itself was velvety black, and dotted with stars. It was hard to believe that there was a ceiling at all, and that the Great Hall didn`t simply open on to the heavens.

There were four long, wooden tables, running in parallel lines up to the podium, where the teachers had their own table. All of the tables were laid with glittering gold plates and goblets, and the Great Hall was already filled with students, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the first-years.

In the front of the Great Hall, a shabby-looking old hat sat upon a stool. The hat looked battered and nasty, and it was obvious that it had been patched several times. All the conversation in the room died down the instant the first-years arrived. Harry felt a tingle in his spine as several hundred students turned their eyes in his direction. He hated being in the center of attention. It made him feel uncomfortable, and queasy.

He could hear Hermione`s breath becoming rugged right next to him, but who could blame her? Professor McGonagall headed for the podium where the Headmaster, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, stood. He was watching the students with a look that seeped of wisdom and ancient knowledge.

" _Well, he looks ancient"_ , Harry thought to himself. The man looked like he had overdosed on an Ageing Potion, which wasn`t exactly charming. But his appearance did compliment the aura of wisdom that surrounded the ancient wizard. He most likely held more knowledge about this world than anyone else. Harry had an undying respect for wisdom and intelligence, and he imagined that him and the Headmaster wouldn`t have a hard time seeing eye to eye.

The other first-years were getting seated now, and Harry hastily secured a seat at the front of the hall for him and Hermione. Why he was devoting so much of his attention to this girl, was simply unknown to him. Something about her made him curious. She was a mystery, and Harry liked mysteries.

Hermione sent him a grateful smile as she got seated next to him. The Great Hall was suddenly steeped into a deep, undisturbed silence. It was as if Harry could have just stretched out and touched the tension. The Headmaster swept his insightful glare across the room, and when his eyes met Harry`s, it felt as if the Headmaster was staring right into his naked soul. Harry absentmindedly wondered if there was indeed a type of magic which would allow one person to look into another person`s thoughts. He would have to read up on that later on.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, students! Whether you are a new student, or a returning one, me and the entire staff here at Hogwarts are happy to see you. As you all know, it`s the start of a new year, and as such, we have a fresh batch of first-years ready to start their education here. Please, I urge you, be welcoming towards them. Most of them will grow up and become talented wizards and witches, given time. Now, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce some of the staff members to you!" the Headmaster`s voice boomed throughout the Great Hall.

"First off, we have Horace Slughorn, who will be taking the role as Potions Master. Please everyone; give him a round of applause". An enormously fat, bald, old man stood up, and gave the students a warm smile. After a quick standing ovation, the Headmaster moved on to the next professor.

"Next, we have Professor Quirrell, who will be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts".

A young man with a very pale skin tone wearing a turban stood up, and The Great hall seemed to go quiet for a second, for a reason that Harry couldn`t quite understand, before the applause broke out again.

This continued for a couple more minutes, until Dumbledore had introduced all of the professors sitting at the teacher`s table. He then proclaimed that it was time to continue with the Sorting Ceremony.

A loud applause filled the room just seconds later, and Harry couldn`t help but smile. It was clear that everyone had a deep respect for Dumbledore, which was, in all likelihood, warranted. The Headmaster sent his students a warm smile, before raising his hand. The instant he did, all the applause died down.

"In front of me is the Sorting Hat, which will divide the new students into their respective houses. But first, let us all listen to his song".

The Sorting Hat woke to life in an instant, and began singing with a deep and rumbling voice, but Harry wasn`t listening. He was contemplating how to formulate his question to the Sorting Hat in the most optimal way. It was a rather bizarre question, albeit an honest one.

After the Sorting Hat had finished the last stanza in his song, the applause resurfaced, and drowned the Great Hall in the sound of hands meeting hands. The Sorting Hat showed no interest in the praise it was getting, it simply kept a straight face, so to speak, although Harry had to wonder whether the Sorting Hat was actually capable of showing emotion.

Professor McGonagall walked up to the podium, and switched places with the Headmaster, who retired to his throne-like seat, resting at the middle of the teacher`s table. The professor let out a soft cough, before holding out a long list of what had to be names.

"Morag Macdougal", the professor pronounced with a firm voice. The Great Hall was remained silent, waiting for the correct student to get up and approach the podium. Suddenly, a girl abruptly stood up. It was obvious that she was quite shy, because she kept her arms firmly behind her back, one hand grabbing around the wrist of the opposite one. She made her way up to the professor, who eyed her with a comforting look. The girl sat down on the stool, and the professor carefully lowered the old hat onto her head.

There was a long moment of silence, before the Sorting Hat finally came with it`s judgment.

"RAVENCLAW!" it pronounced with a rumbling voice. The Great Hall broke into a loud cheer, and the students gave the now lighthearted Morag Macdougal a standing ovation. The silence returned by a wave of the Headmaster`s hand. Professor McGonagall diverted her eyes back to the list, and continued by reading the next name.

"Wayne Hopkins!"

This continued for another five minutes or so, with students being called to the podium, assigned to a house and returned to their seats. After a while, Professor McGonagall asked for Hermione Granger. Harry`s attention immediately went back to the Sorting Ceremony, and he watched intently as Hermione got up from her seat and maneuvered her way to the podium. The professor placed the Sorting Hat upon her head, and Harry could see Hermione close her eyes, as if she was afraid of what the Sorting Hat`s decision might be.

"RAVENCLAW!"

He could practically see the relief seeping out of Hermione. She lightly made her way back to Harry, and gave him a cheerful smile before sitting down next to him again.

"Harry Potter".

The crowd went silent within seconds. Harry could feel everyone`s attention switch over to him, and he swallowed hard in order to get rid of the small lump that had begun to form in his throat. He got up from his seat on rocky legs, and slowly made his way towards the front of the Great Hall. Harry felt their stares tear into him, expose him and try to unmask his façade.

Before long, Harry found himself sitting in the stool, looking out at the hundreds of students eagerly awaiting the Sorting Hat`s decision. With the Sorting Hat gently placed on his head, Harry felt an unknown presence in his mind, digging through his memories and emotions. Suddenly, the presence spoke to him.

" _Oh dear, what do we have here?"_

…

The hushed atmosphere of the Great Hall made Hermione anxious. They were all watching Harry as he had an internal discussion with the Sorting Hat. If he was feeling nervous, he certainly did a good job of hiding it. Hermione remembered the feeling well, of some unknown entity poking through your brain, revealing your deepest desires and secrets.

She personally had been downright petrified of being placed in Slytherin, the most vile house of Hogwarts, despite the fact that she had been absolutely certain she would be placed in Ravenclaw. It only made sense for her, a hard working and top grade student, to be placed amongst the other "brainiacs".

Hermione didn`t really have many friends. Most of her childhood had been devoted to school and reading. She honestly didn`t have a lot of time to allocate to friends, or any romantic interests. Which was why she had been genuinely flattered when Harry had given her a compliment on her appearance, despite the quite pathetic nature of it. Hermione wasn`t used to getting compliments, or receiving any genuine admiration from the male gender. It could be, however, that Harry was simply attempting a kind of cajolery. Nevertheless, Hermione accepted his compliment and moved on.

She moved her eyes back to Harry again, and she could see that he was about to say something. It was obvious that Harry was a Hatstall. When he finally opened his mouth to speak, what he said took her by complete surprise.

…

" _Good day Mr. Sorting Hat, my name is Harry and I…"_

" _Boy, I already know your name. I have, quite literally, read your mind",_ the Sorting Hat cut him off.

" _Oh, well then, are you impressed by what you see?"_ Harry asked dryly, which was more of a joke than an actual question.

" _Well, you certainly have some… interesting qualities… But then again, you have something else… something special"_ , the Sorting Hat answered. Harry furrowed his brows.

" _And what would that be?"_ he asked curiously.

" _To be honest, I can not answer that question truthfully, because I cannot see what it is clearly. It is like a muddled presence, only vaguely noticeable, but it is definitely there"_.

Harry pondered this for a moment, and noticed that the Sorting Hat was starting to feel a bit… anxious? How a hat could express any sort of emotion was beyond Harry`s understanding, but he could definitely feel it "tensing up", so to speak. It didn`t like to linger too long on one student before moving on to the next, for some reason. Sometimes, the hat would use up to five minutes to make its decision, and this rare occurrence was commonly referred to as a "Hatstall". True Hatstalls were very rare, and only occurred once every fifty years or so.

" _Now, which House do you belong in, Harry Potter…"_ the Sorting Hat wondered.

" _Before we skip to that part, I have a question I want to ask you"_ , Harry said, effectively cutting the Sorting Hat off. He could feel the Hat`s curiosity growing in his mind as the Hat replied.

" _What is it you want to know?"_ the Hat asked.

"I want to know how to create an Elixir of Life in order to obtain immortality", Harry said.

…

The Great Hall was plunged into a deep silence, everyone shocked over Harry`s random question. It took him a second to realize that he had said it aloud, instead of mentally so only the Sorting Hat could hear him. Even the Headmaster raised an eyebrow, a hint of confusion in his eyes. Professor McGonagall looked thunderstruck.

"What is the meaning of this, Mr. Potter?" the professor gasped.

"Pay it no mind, professor, just a friendly question", Harry answered matter-of-factly. The Sorting Hat`s presence in his mind seemed to be confused, unsure of what to say or think.

" _I believe such a question would be better suited for a Potions Master, Harry Potter, and not me"_ , the Hat finally answered after a long time. Harry mulled over this for a second, a little disappointed that he hadn`t received an answer, but he understood the Hat`s logic. It just seemed logical at the time, that if anyone had an answer, it would be an ancient magical relic that somehow had obtained a state of self-awareness. This Hat undoubtedly held a lot of knowledge, and Harry absentmindedly wondered if the Headmaster would allow him to ask it a few more questions after the Sorting Ceremony was over.

As for how Harry had obtained the knowledge of the Elixir of Life in the first place, well, that was a story for another time. It involved stealing one of his father`s books on potions and studying it under his duvet at 02.00 am in the middle of the night with a flashlight. The book didn`t mention any of the ingredients required to make it though, which was a little disappointing.

The Hat seemed amused at Harry`s earlier question, but continued on with the sorting process.

" _So again, which House should I place you in? Hufflepuff?"_ the Hat speculated.

" _The "we accept everyone" house? I don`t mean any offense to Hufflepuffs, but I feel like I was destined for greater things than hard labor and poor performance in the House Cup",_ Harry snorted dismissively.

" _Gryffindor?"_

" _Well, bravery and courage isn`t exactly my fortè. In addition, not everything in this world is rainbows, sunshine and happiness, as the Gryffindors seem to think. I don`t even think Godric Gryffindor would want me in his house",_ Harry muttered.

" _Slytherin?"_

" _I don`t like the color green"._

Harry could`ve swore he heard the Sorting Hat murmur something that sounded an awful lot like "fuck it".

"RAVENCLAW!" the Hat shouted. It had been exactly five minutes and six seconds since the Sorting Hat had been placed on Harry`s head, thus making him a true Hatstall.

The Great Hall broke out into a surprised applause, and as Harry got up from the stool, he noticed the Headmaster sending him an amused look. Harry responded with a tiny nod, before heading back to his seat. Hermione just stared at him, obviously unsure of what to feel or say.

The rest of the evening went by with a flash, and before long, all of the remaining first-years had been sorted into their respective houses. Neville was placed in Gryffindor (surprisingly enough), Malfoy was placed in Slytherin (obviously), and last (and definitely least), Ron was also placed in Gryffindor (maybe not as surprising, since he lacked the traits of any other house. The Sorting Hat also seemed to have a tendency to place all of the Weasley`s in Gryffindor, Hermione told him).

After the Sorting Ceremony was over, Harry and Hermione joined the Ravenclaw table, and the Welcoming Feast started. Harry was overwhelmed by the sheer variety of foods that appeared on the tables as the feast started, and it didn`t take him long to eat so much he thought he was going to throw up. After the feast was over, the Headmaster said a few words about staying away from something called the Forbidden Forest, and avoiding the third-floor corridor, before sending everyone off to their dormitories. The Sorting Ceremony was over, and tomorrow would mark Harry`s first day as a student at Hogwarts.

…

 **A/N: This chapter took me a while to write, and it ended up on almost 3000 words. Again, I`m sorry if this is not 100% accurate to the canon material, but it isn`t supposed to be. We have now reached the point where this story starts kicking off, and the main plot gradually gets revealed. The chapters from here on out will be longer, take more time to write and be more planned out than before. I hope you are just as excited as I am for this epic journey we are about to embark on, and I will do my best to create an interesting story and look at the Harry Potter universe. And I will see you guys in the next chapter.**

 **-Twisted**


	4. The First Day

**A/N: I really have no valid alibi for this. It`s been over two weeks since I last posted a chapter, which is unacceptable. I promised at least two chapters every week, and from this point onwards, I intend to at least publish one. This is my promise to you, and you are allowed to hold me accountable to said promise. Because the only reason I didn`t post this before now was because I recently bought a subscription to Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, which has effectively sucked up all my free time. But I digress. Please, enjoy the chapter!**

 **Side Note: If you haven`t done so already or read the update chapter which has now been deleted, please go back and reread the story from scratch. Two weeks ago, I changed a lot of the aspects of the story to create a more believable Harry and overall plot, based on several reviews left by the original readers. Please, do go back and do so, or you might be thoroughly confused later on!**

Hermione shook her head in a bitter manner whilst marching past the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw that was located inside the common room in the Ravenclaw Tower. It was the first day of school, and Harry had, for some reason, decided to skip breakfast. Now, he was apparently running the risk of being late to his first class as well. The boy seemed completely unconcerned about the fact that education actually meant something in the wizarding world, and he seemed more engrossed in his potions-studies than the actual school. This annoyed Hermione Granger beyond reason. It was common sense that school should be prioritized above all else, at least within her circle of close friends, which consisted of one member: herself. In her defense though, that one member held inestimable value.

She banged her fist against the closed door leading into the Ravenclaw dormitories.

"Harry Potter, if you are in there, you better open up this door right now!" she yelled, frustration seeping from her words. She waited for a couple of seconds, before hearing the muffled sound of movement coming from within the room. The door slowly opened up with a screech.

The room was in total chaos. Books, clothes, empty vials and what looked like chocolate wrapping paper covered the floor, and the air was filled with the metallic smell of gunpowder. In the middle of it all stood Harry Potter, bent over a miniature cauldron. He looked like an outright lunatic, soot covering his face and clothes. When he noticed Hermione staring at him, he lifted his eyes to meet hers. A wide grin covered his face.

"Good morning, Hermione", he proclaimed happily. Hermione sent him a flat stare.

"What in Godric`s name are you doing Harry?" she asked, noticeably bewildered.

"Why, I`m attempting to make an Erumpent Potion of course!" he grinned, as if it was the most obvious thing ever. Hermione vaguely remembered reading about the Erumpent Potion. It was essentially the potion equivalent to that of a muggle stick of dynamite.

"Harry, do you have any idea how dangerous that is?" she gasped, surprised at just how daring he was. An Erumpent Potion wasn`t something a first-year should be brewing, and definitely not in such a makeshift way.

"I assure you Hermione, it`s totally fine, I`m more than qualified enough to brew such a potion," he shrugged nonchalantly. Hermione sent him a questioning glare, gesturing to the total mess he had made. Harry took a quick look around the room, before putting on a smug, slightly embarrassed look.

"Oops".

Hermione let out a defeated sigh, before bending over to pick up an empty vial. She figured he could use some help cleaning up.

"Oh no, you don`t have to do that Hermione, I can clean up this mess myself," he smiled, pulling out his wand. Hermione took a step back, and gestured him to continue doing whatever he was planning to do. Harry sent her a comforting smile, before taking a deep breath.

"Scourgify!" he said, pointing the tip of his wand towards the mess that was scattered across the floor. An audible pop sounded through the room, and suddenly, the mess had disappeared, leaving no trace of its existence. Hermione gasped in surprise. She had never seen a spell like that before.

"Harry, what was that?" she asked befuddled.

"What, that spell? It`s just a simple cleaning spell. It does require some practice before one can master it though, but it`s virtually essential for anyone who calls themselves a potion-brewer," he shrugged, pocketing his wand again. Hermione was perplexed, but decided to avoid pursuing the matter any further. They only had a couple of minutes before class started, so she seized a firm grip around Harry`s arm, and started dragging him towards the door.

"Well, we have to go now, class is about to start," she stated matter-of-factly, pulling Harry with her.

"Umm, I don`t mean to be intrusive, but I do believe it would be best if I brought the required books to class, Hermione," Harry muttered, gently tearing his arm out of her grip. She stopped dead in her tracks, and did a mental facepalm. Of course, he would need his books.

"Well, be quick. We don`t have a lot of time to spare".

…

They were already well on their way towards Potions class when Harry realized he had forgot to clean up his halfway done Erumpent Potion. He muttered a silent prayer that nobody would enter the boys` dorm in the next hour, and if they did, they would most likely get an "explosive" surprise. Luckily enough, he had used the ingredients sparingly whilst he was brewing it, so it shouldn`t be strong enough to cause serious damage.

Hermione railroaded them down the narrow and twisting corridors of Hogwarts, heading towards the dungeons on the lower level of the massive stone castle. Harry, filled to the brim with anticipation towards his first real Potions class, hoped the teacher would provide him with a decent challenge when it came to the potions they would be brewing. A part of him doubted it though, they were first-years after all, and the other students were presumably nowhere near as good as Harry was at brewing.

The Potions classroom`s walls were lined with pickled animals in glass jars, and all sorts of ingredients. The room was rather cold, and Harry had heard rumors that during the winter, it got so cold you could actually see your own breath. In one corner, a basin stood, shaped like a gargoyle. If activated, it would pour ice-cold water from its mouth, to use in the potions. In the other corner, there was a student supply cupboard, which undoubtedly contained all of the ingredients they would use during class. Harry seated himself near the front of the classroom, and the teacher, an immensely fat, bald man with an enormous belly, sent him a warm smile. He had a friendly aura about him, and Harry found it to be calming.

When everyone had found a seat, the man stood up from his chair, and started addressing the class.

"Welcome, students, to your first ever Potions class! I will act as the Potions Master this year, and my name is Horace Slughorn! I hope we can all get along well, and treat each other with the respect and courtesy fitting for a proper class", he beamed, his arms extended to either side of his body.

"Now, in today's class, you will attempt to brew a Boil-Cure Potion! You will find all of the necessary ingredients in the cupboard to my right, and you have exactly one hour to complete this task. Begin!"

Harry could practically feel the heart sinking in his chest, and all the hope he had had before entering the classroom dissipated into nothingness. A Boil-Cure Potion. Harry was convinced that the teacher couldn`t have found a more bland potion to brew if he had stayed up all night, studying recipe books looking for the most mundane potion to make.

He got up from his chair with an audible groan, and joined the growing line of students standing in front of the supply cupboard. Making a Boil-Cure Potion was an insult to his genius, a waste of his most precious time. He would have to ask the teacher if he could brew his own potions, while the rest of the class lagged behind. He wasn`t keen on being stuck on this elementary level of potion brewing.

After grabbing some dried nettles, snake fangs, horned slugs and porcupine quills, Harry returned to his seat in order to start the brewing process. He started by crushing the snake fangs into a fine powder using a mortar. It was important to be meticulous whilst pulverizing the snake fangs; you would want to make sure the powder was as smooth as possible, because even the slightest chunk could mess up the entire potion.

After making sure that the mashed fangs were as silky as possible, Harry added four measures of the powder to his cauldron, which was filled with cold water. He used a simple Callesco spell to heat up the mixture to exactly 250 degrees for 10 seconds, after which we waved his wand over the concoction, and left it to brew for the next thirty-five minutes. The brewing process of this potion was excessively straightforward, and only the most inexperienced of potion-brewers would mess up something this simple. A quick glance around the room told him that the other students were, for the most part, very inexperienced, as no one thus far had managed to achieve the desired blue-ish color of the potion. The nervous Neville Longbottom had somehow managed to melt his cauldron, which was now emitting a quite horrid odor.

Judging by the vicious boils that covered Neville`s hand, the foul concoction he had brewed had had the opposite effect, giving you boils instead of removing them. Harry couldn`t help but chuckle as Neville desperately tried to rescue his failed potion by adding more porcupine quills, which of course only made the mixture reek even worse. Professor Slughorn tried to calm down the distressed Neville, but to no avail. The crazed student seemed to think that adding extra water to the mixture would somehow fix it, but alas, it only made the classroom smell similar to that of a wet fart.

After multiple attempts, a ruined potion and a melted cauldron, Neville finally bowed his head in defeat, his will to live slowly ebbing out. After a while, Harry reverted his attention back to his own potion, which was finally ready. He took the four horned slugs and added them to the mix, watching them slowly disintegrate in the hot water. He then waited for the potion to cool down, before adding the final ingredient: the porcupine quills. Behind him, he heard a cauldron literally explode, showering it`s brewer with a purple-ish liquid that stuck to the skin. After some desperate wailing, Professor Slughorn finally managed to remove the substance from the panicked first-year.

" _What a bunch of amateurs,"_ Harry thought to himself, smiling as he watched his own potion slowly turn into the desired color of blue.

…

Harry strode down the hallway with a bright smile plastered onto his face. That Potions class went surprisingly well. Professor Slughorn had commended him on his work, since his potion had been as close to perfect as you could get a Boil-Cure Potion.

"You can wipe that satisfied grin right off your face, Potter", Malfoy said, striding up next to Harry. "My potion was almost as potent as yours, I blame beginners luck". Harry couldn`t help but smirk.

"Malfoy, you don`t even believe that statement yourself, much less do I. I am just more adept at it than you are," Harry stated matter-of-factly. He could practically feel Malfoy shaking with undignified fury, but he somehow managed to swallow his pride and keep it down.

"I do suppose you are capable, Potter, but enjoy this while it lasts, you will not best me for long, on that I give you my word," Draco answered, before hastily hurrying past Harry down the corridor. Harry simply smiled. Draco was full of empty threats, but there was no doubt that the name Malfoy held some relevance in the wizarding society. He would have to be wary around Draco`s father, Lucius Malfoy.

And with that, Harry shifted his thoughts over to something a little more positive, like for instance what he would have for lunch.

…

The rest of the day came and went, and the only memorable thing that happened, was the Defence Against the Dark Arts class, where they were introduced to Professor Quirrell. Harry was unsure of what to think of Quirrell. He had a strange, threatening aura surrounding him, which made Harry question his motives. There was just something a little bit off about the Defence Professor, but Harry couldn`t quite put a finger on exactly what it was. Maybe he was just being paranoid.

Sadly, the lesson itself turned out to be somewhat of a joke. Professor Quirrell dedicated the entire lesson to learning about the Curse of the Bogies, which even Harry knew about. It was a curse that gave the recipient a strong cold, which could possibly make one collapse if not treated. In addition, it left you with a runny nose. But that was pretty much the extent of it. The curse was hardly something one would dedicate an entire lesson to, and it was definitely not considered a "dark art". If dark wizards had nothing more to do than run around and give everyone a particularly strong cold, then Harry would have to reconsider his view of dark magic.

As they were walking back towards the common room, a girl with long black hair and olive-toned skin came running towards Harry and his little group of friends. Harry vaguely remembered that her name was Parvati something and that she`d been sorted into Gryffindor. The girl looked thoroughly aghast, and it was clear that something was wrong.

"Someone please help, my sister has collapsed in the Gryffindor common room!" she shouted, voice trembling.

"Whoa, calm down. What happened?" Ron asked bewildered.

"I don`t know! We were in the middle of a conversation, and then she suddenly just fell over and started making these weird noises! I was so scared, I didn`t know what to do, I…" her voice trailed off as she recalled the event, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Hey, it`s okay, I assure you, we will do everything in our power to help your sister, right guys?" Harry consoled, taking a quick glance back at his friends. They simply nodded, and headed off towards the common room.

When they arrived, they spotted the unconscious Padma laying on the floor, froth gushing from her mouth. Her eyes had rolled back into her head, and her body shot into spastic jolts every now and then, making her back arch in a horrible way. Harry felt the blood in his veins freeze to ice, and a strange clearness filled his head. He had to be quick, because if not… Well, Harry didn`t want to think about that.

He immediately got into a sitting position next to Padma`s unconscious, convulsing body, and took a closer look at her face. She was rather pretty, despite the fact that she was, well you know, dying. Harry racked his brain searching for a cause, something that could trigger something like this.

His friends watched in utter silence as Harry put a cool hand against Padma`s forehead. She was melting up, and Harry`s hand actually recoiled slightly as it touched the hot surface.

" _Think Harry, think! Froth covering the mouth, spastic jolts, high fever… Where have I seen this before? Oh that`s right, I saw it happen to a cow once, that time father took me to a farm. It had apparently eaten something I wasn`t supposed to. Wait, eat. Eat. Something you eat"_.

Harry took a quick look around the room, but spotted no plates or food of any kind.

" _Okay, so the probability of food causing this is statistically very low. What else can it be? Something you drink perhaps?"_

Yet again, Harry swept his glare across the room, and luckily enough, he spotted an empty goblet on the table at the far side of the room.

" _It would seem has been poisoned. Now, what was the name of that flower the cow ate? Beetroot? Bareroot? Bloodroot! That`s the name!"_

Suddenly, the last piece of the puzzle fell into place in Harry`s head. He immediately got up, and made his way over to the empty goblet. His friends watched in outright shock as he picked it up and took a good sniff. The smell of Bloodroot was overwhelming, and Harry couldn`t help but cough a couple of times. Padma had to be effectively insane to drink something like this.

"She has been poisoned. Someone slipped a little bit of Bloodroot Potion into her drink. Bloodroot is highly poisonous, and she will need medical attention as fast as possible," Harry stated calmly. His friends shifted their attention from him to the girl on the floor. Parvati ran to her sister`s side, and sent the others a helpless stare.

"What are you waiting for, help me carry her to Madam Pomfrey`s!"

That seemed to get the others into action. They ran over to the two girls, and helped Parvati carry her unconscious sister out the door. Harry stayed behind to take a second look at the goblet. Much to Harry`s disappointment, there didn`t seem to be anything more to discover. He had no idea who was behind all of this, and the person of interest certainly hadn`t left him any clues.

As Harry was about to leave the common room, he could`ve sworn he heard a faint whisper in the back of his skull. As he tried to concentrate on the whispers, they trailed off and became more distant, except for two words, which sent shivers down his spine like electric jolts.

 _Harry… Potter…_

…

 **A/N: Now, please don`t hate me for this, but I`m not going to be specifically following canon from this point onwards. Some elements and plot points will definitely be canon, but I will add or remove as much as I see fit. This is my story, so you are just going to have to deal with it. But, if you do have an opinion on the story or something I should add, please don`t hesitate to leave a review! They make my day, and they help me improve as an author. Other than that, I will see you guys in the next chapter!**

 **-Twisted**


	5. The Library Incident, Pt 1

**A/N: And here we are yet again, with another two weeks gone by since the last chapter. And yet again, I can do nothing but apologize for my lack of a proper schedule when it comes to these things. Life has a tendency to take up a lot more of your free time than you can imagine, and with my girlfriend demanding attention for Valentines Day, I hardly had time to write on this. But I`m getting sidetracked. Please, enjoy the chapter!**

The next couple of days went by with a flash. With each passing day, Harry was introduced to new lessons, some of which he could never even have imagined being a part of an educational system. It was now Thursday, and everyone was talking about one specific class that would take place later that day: Flying class. After doing some research on the subject (by digging out some books from the Hogwarts library), Harry had successfully managed to learn the basic principles of how flying worked. It apparently involved using a broomstick as a flying machine. The entire concept was incredibly ironic, especially considering the muggle stories of how witches used flying broomsticks to get around.

Whilst searching for a book on flying, Harry accidentally came across a rather interesting book called "Quidditch Through The Ages". Quidditch was the most popular sport in the wizarding world, and it just so happened to use broomsticks as the transportation method. As he went deeper into the mechanics of Quidditch, Harry couldn`t help but snigger at how infuriatingly stupid the whole thing was.

The point of the game was to score more points than your opponents. Each goal was worth ten points, and every team consisted of seven people, three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper and one Seeker. It apparently involved four balls, a Quaffle, two Bludgers and a Golden Snitch. The Keeper`s role was to guard the three goal posts, whilst the three Chasers scored goals by throwing the Quaffle into one the opposing teams goal posts. The two Beaters had to keep the Bludgers away from their team by batting them towards the enemy team, and the Seeker had to look out for the final ball, the Golden Snitch. Now, this was where the game got incredibly unfair. Catching the Golden Snitch would reward the team who caught it with 150 points, which was the equivalent of fifteen goals. This was strangely arbitrary, as it would effectively render the opposing teams efforts futile. In other words, catching the Golden Snitch would always be the number one priority, because it gave you the greatest amount of points.

As Harry wondered about how the Quidditch game could be changed in order to create a more fair setting, he couldn`t help but wonder how he had never heard of this before, since it seemed to be common knowledge. If he didn`t know any better, Harry would say that his parents had deliberately kept certain parts of the wizarding world hidden from him. Surely that couldn`t be case. They had no reason to do something as peculiar as that.

" _Liar"._

The thought struck him as lightning from a clear sky. It was as if some internal voice was speaking directly to his mind, strenuously pushing the words into his head.

" _You think you see clearly, Harry Potter, but in reality, you have never been more blind,"_ the rasping voice in his head continued, its words grating against his brain. Harry fell to his knees, hands pressed against the sides of his skull. Every time the hoarse voice spoke, it felt like shattered glass yanked its way across the inside of his cranium.

" _How does it feel to know that you are left alone in the darkness?"_

 _W… who are you? Please, stop this!_

" _How does it feel to know that your parents betrayed you, lied to you and sent you away?"_

 _I don`t know what you are talking about, just stop, please, I beg you!_

" _How does it feel to be friendless, isolated and alone, a single spark of light in a vast and endless obscurity?"_

The pain intensified now, sending waves of agony rippling across his skin. Harry felt like he was on fire, the heat scorching his skin, exposing the bones underneath. He wanted nothing more than to cut off his own head, if only to end the suffering the voice was inflicting on him.

" _You want to know who I am, what I am"_.

All the pain vanished, gone as if it had never been there.

" _I am you, Harry Potter"_.

The words sent a fresh wave of pure agony trembling through his veins, and the feeling of a thousand needles protruding into his skull, penetrating his brain and ending his miserable existence made Harry fall to the ground, screaming in torment, thrashing violently around. And as he felt his consciousness fading, he opened his eyes and saw floating locks of bushy, brown hair rushing towards him.

…

Distant voices woke Harry up from his slumber. Someone was having a heated debate somewhere in his proximity, and Harry found it surprisingly annoying. The endless bickering didn`t exactly help cure the massive headache he was currently experiencing.

He slowly opened his eyes, but all he could see was contorted shapes of different sizes. After lazily blinking a couple of times, he managed to make out the contours of two people standing beside him.

"… natural. Yes, I found him like this! I came in to look for an older copy of "Hogwarts Through The Ages", since I have already read the newest version several times, and he was just laying here like this, blood pouring from his ears. I promise Professor, I haven`t done anything!" a female voice shrilled, making Harry wince. It had to be Hermione. Harry knew no one else who spoke in that specific tone every time they were in distress.

"I see. Well, thank you for telling me, Ms. Granger. Let us escort Mr. Potter here to the medical wing. Madam Pomfrey would undoubtedly want to take a look at his injuries," an older, more mature female voice said. Harry vaguely recognized it as Professor McGonagall.

"Thank you Professor," Hermione answered before turning to look at Harry. As her eyes met Harry`s, her face cracked up in a big smile, and she gently cocked her head to one side.

"Good morning Harry, how are you feeling?" she asked jokingly.

"Good," he answered dryly before getting up into a sitting position. "Definitely been better, but good".

"Mr. Potter, if you would, could you please elaborate on what exactly took place in this library that made you fall unconscious to the floor with blood pouring from your ears?" Professor McGonagall stated matter-of-factly, a weak glint gleaming in her eyes.

"I…" he started, before thinking the better of it, and hesitantly shaking his head. "I really can`t recall, Professor. I remember feeling rather light-headed, and a strong urge to sit down," he lied. A small part of him told him that telling the Professor about the voices in his head would likely do more harm than good.

A doubtful stare from the Professor told him that she didn`t truthfully believe him, but he did nothing but shrug. Telling her the truth would do nothing but earn him a relatively long stay at St. Mungo`s, something that Harry wasn`t exactly keen on doing.

Hermione looked from him to the Professor, before gently grabbing his arm. Harry recoiled slightly at the touch, but eased up when Hermione sent him a warm smile.

"No matter. We can discuss this further in the future, Mr. Potter. For now, I recommend you head to the medical wing for a thorough examination. Ms. Granger, would you be so kind and escort him there?" Professor McGonagall said after a long moment of silence.

"Yes, Professor. I`ll make sure he doesn`t skulk off before Madam Pomfrey has taken a look at him," she beamed, heading for the door that led out of the library. Harry couldn`t do anything else but follow, and he let her guide him out into the hallway.

After walking for a while, Hermione finally asked the question she had been dying to ask for the past couple of minutes.

"So, are you going to tell me the truth?"

Harry fixed her with a calculating stare, before smiling, and gently shaking his head from side to side.

"No, Ms. Granger, I won`t. I suppose I don't make for a very convincing liar then".

Hermione let out a soft chuckle, but Harry could clearly hear the distinct annoyance in her voice. It was evident that Hermione didn`t like to be left out on juicy details. She craved it, just as she craved knowledge and learning. After a moment of silence, she lightly nodded her head, and quickened her pace.

"I trust you have a good reason not to tell me Harry, I mean, one could hardly even call us friends, but I like to think that we are," she settled, sending him a cheeky wink. Harry flinched slightly at the words. Friends. He hadn`t really had any friends before. Other kids mostly stayed away from him, they thought he was weird. Little did they know, he was just smarter and more intelligent than they were. He could hardly stand their underdeveloped brains and their childish speech.

Fun fact, he had once tried to teach the other kids in the neighborhood about Newton`s laws of motion, deliberately explaining each and every one of the three laws that laid the foundation for classical mechanics. Sadly, they had barely understood anything at all, and after twenty minutes, only two of the initial ten kids remained, and that was only because the book he showed them had pictures in it.

Harry shook his head in disappointment at the thought. What a world to live in, where parents don`t teach their children basic knowledge such as the laws of motion.

"Harry, are you even listening to me?"

He was ripped from his daydream, forced to snap back to reality.

"Oh yes, and I must say, that is a genuinely interesting subject!" he gushed, desperately trying to save the conversation. Hermione eyed him carefully, before shaking her head in resignation.

"You truly are a lost cause, Harry Potter," she muttered, turning her attention back to the hallway in front of them. They were closing in on the medical wing now, and only a couple of meters remained.

"Well, I like to think of myself as an educated, intelligent and eccentric young man, but I guess I will settle for being a "lost cause" then," he smiled, and Hermione couldn`t help but snicker at his remark.

"And you wonder why other kids don`t like you," she retorted.

"Can`t think of a single reason why," Harry joked, a slight smile making its way onto his face.

"Well, we are here now. I trust you can take care of yourself from here on out?" Hermione asked as they approached the entrance to the medical wing, putting on a fake concern.

"Yes, I can. Thanks for taking me, Ms. Granger. This little walk has been highly educational and stimulating for my brain cells".

"If that`s your idea of flirting then you have a long way to go. Has that pickup line ever worked?" Hermione laughed.

"First time I have used it, it`s still in an experimental phase," Harry explained jokingly.

Hermione sent him a warm smile, before waving him goodbye and heading down the corridor towards the Ravenclaw common room. At that moment, Harry decided that Hermione Granger was possibly the only person in this world that he had ever wanted to be friends with. And the thought scared the living crap out of him.

 **A/N: Now, with over 3000 readers and counting, I would like to express my gratitude towards all of you who have helped shape this story into what it has become. I apologize for the rather short length of this chapter, it is a part of a longer chapter, with part 2 coming up next week. Again, if you enjoyed the read, please do leave a review, they brighten up my day and help me improve as an author. Other than that, I will see you guys in the next chapter!**

 **-Twisted**


	6. The Library Incident, Pt 2

**A/N: For once, I have actually managed to finish a chapter within a week. Or at least, close to a week. This was a particularly interesting chapter to write, so I hope you find it enjoyable. It is definitely something of a "game-changer" in terms of Harry`s character. Enjoy the chapter!**

The Hospital Wing was run by Madam Poppy Pomfrey, the school`s matron. It was a long, rectangular room, with beds lining the opposing sides. There was in total eight beds, but all of them were empty now. Torches that never burnt out heated the room, and the huge windows allowed plenty of sunlight to flood in. At the far side of the room, a cupboard containing numerous different medicines and potions stood. Harry vaguely recognized a couple of them: Blood-Replenishing potions, Anti-Paralysis potions, Calming Draught, common Cough potions and so forth. It seemed fairly well stocked, and for a moment, Harry felt a sudden urge to steal a couple away, safekeeping them for use on a fitting occasion, but he swiftly removed all such thoughts from his head. He wasn`t here to steal potions like a petty thief.

Madam Pomfrey swept into his field of view, her white attire and light skin complimented by the sunlight momentarily blinding him. Her grey hair indicated she was a person of old age, but her blue eyes sparked with energy, and there was a certain intensity about her that made Harry feel sorry for any poor bastard that dared disobey her. She had been the school`s matron for as long as anyone could remember, and she was a well-respected member of the staff.

"Ahh, Mr. Potter, I presume?" she nodded, eyeing him carefully. He must have been in a poorer condition than he thought, because her right eye twitched ever so slightly at the sight of him.

"Yes, Madam, that is my name," Harry smiled, trying to his best to appear more well than he felt. "I suppose that if I tried to tell you I`m okay, you wouldn`t let me go without treatment?"

"Not a chance, boy. Choose any bed, I`ll be back in a minute," the matron replied strictly, before heading off towards the far side of the room. Harry nonchalantly wandered towards one of the eight empty beds, and sat down. It was without a doubt a very comfortable bed, and it felt as if the mattress itself was enveloping him in a soft sensation, pulling him into a cuddly heaven. Harry couldn`t help but let out a satisfied sigh, before remembering why he was here, and straightening up again. He didn`t know why, but he had a strong feeling that it was best if nobody knew about his inner dark voice. It would undoubtedly sound a lot more eerie than it felt if he said it out loud.

Madam Pomfrey returned with a selection of potions in her hands. Harry spotted a Dreamless Sleep Potion amongst the collection, and couldn`t help the sneaking feeling of insult creeping its way into his head. Did Madam Pomfrey really believe he required an anxiety-reducing potion? Did he honestly look that bad?

"Okay, I brought you some potions in case you need them. First, could you start by explaining what happened in the library?" Madam Pomfrey demanded, fixing him with a curious gaze.

"I really can`t recall what happened all that well, Madam. It`s a blur to me," Harry lied, trying his best to make it sound convincing. Madam Pomfrey obviously didn`t buy it.

"Hmm, curious, very curious indeed… Ms. Granger reported that she heard you scream before falling unconscious, can you recall that much?" she asked nonchalantly, an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

 _How did she… But I was with Hermione the entire time, she couldn`t possibly have told Madam Pomfrey without me noticing?_

These thoughts raced through his mind at light speed, causing him to put on a speculating look. He realized only a second too late that this would give him away to Madam Pomfrey.

"Right now, you are probably wondering how I know that. Well, to answer your question, I have my ways, Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey smiled sincerely, before taking on a more serious expression. "Now, if we could please stop this childish game of deceit, would you mind telling me the actual truth, Mr. Potter?"

Her straightforwardness took Harry off-guard, and he tried his best to think of a witty comeback, but sadly to no avail. He couldn`t just tell her the truth, something felt awfully wrong about that, as if telling her would trigger a chain of events that could possibly be catastrophic.

"I`m sorry, Madam Pomfrey, but I can`t tell you. I don`t know why, and I know that my reason is awfully vague and possibly stupid, but something tells me that it`s best for everyone if certain things are kept secret," he blurted out honestly, leaving her with a surprised look.

After getting over the initial surprise, she let out a defeated sigh, before sending him an understanding nod.

"You truly are a peculiar case, Mr. Potter. Maybe it has something to do with your reputation as "The Boy Who Lived". But who am I to judge?" she muttered, before looking down at the potions in her hands. "My only request is that you take this potion. It will help alleviate the headache". She handed him a potion he surprisingly enough did not recognize. Madam Pomfrey noted his confusion, and sent him a warm smile.

"Do not worry, Mr. Potter, I only gave you a Vitamix Potion. It will give you a temporary energy boost, although the best course of action would probably be to remain in bed for the duration of the day".

Harry nodded in appreciation, before putting on a confused look.

"Before I go, Madam, would you please explain something to me?" he asked. Madam Pomfrey leaned her head ever so slightly to the right, before gesturing him to continue.

"Would you please tell me what this "The Boy Who Lived" business is?"

That`s when he passed out.

…

 _Harry swirled around in a whirlpool of dark shadows. Everything around him threatened to consume him, to drown him in an endless pool of darkness. Nothing made sense anymore. There was no north, south, east or west. Nothing was up, nothing was down. No direction or altitude. He was nowhere, but everywhere at the same time. His entire being fluctuated wildly around itself, like an electron in orbit around a nucleus._

 _All around him, pictures of times long forgotten flashed by, showing him memories he didn`t know he had. A lone house in a dark night. A hooded silhouette walking towards the entrance, a slender wand in his hand. His mother and a man he didn`t recognize standing together, holding each other. The door bursting open. The hooded silhouette entering the room, the man holding his mother releasing her to face him. A flash of green light, and the man falling to the floor. The mysterious figure approaching his mother and the baby she was desperately clinging on to, raising his wand to finish them both._

 _Suddenly, a vast darkness filled the room, lowering the temperature to sub-zero in a matter of seconds. Frost spreading across the windows, the hooded silhouette falling to his knees. A pair of burning red eyes staring out from the oblivion, sending shockwaves of pure power surging through the room. The wand belonging to the unknown killer splitting in half. Another surge of power. The mother falling unconscious to the floor. The hooded figure running out of the room in sheer fright. The darkness retreating, disappearing into the body of the baby now laying on the floor. A single chuckle coming from the newborn. Then nothing._

…

Harry awoke with a shock, sending him flying up to a sitting position in the white bed, the memories of the nightmare still fresh in his mind. But was it really just a nightmare? It had felt too real. Those were his earliest memories, Harry was sure of that. The… entity that lived inside of Harry was trying to show him something. Trying to open his eyes to the real truth. But what was really the truth anymore?

The Ravenclaw dorm was empty. He was alone in the dark room, with no recollection of how he ended up here. The last memory he had before passing out was being in the Hospital Wing with Madam Pomfrey. Somehow, he had made his way from the Hospital Wing, and ended up in his bed in the Ravenclaw dormitories. But how? Why?

Harry suddenly remembered the Vitamix Potion that Madam Pomfrey had given to him, and checked his pockets. Sure enough, he still had it. Harry quickly unscrewed the cork, and downed the entire potion in one, full swig. A couple of seconds later he could already feel the effects of the potion kicking in. How long had he been out for? Minutes? Hours? Days? Weeks?

 _Surely not for that long. Someone would have come to check on me._

Another question raised itself in his mind. The memories he had witnessed in his dream. Were they real? Was anything real anymore? Harry shook his head in confusion, desperately trying to make sense of it all. Despite his unnaturally high intelligence, it was too much for his twelve-year-old mind to comprehend. He needed time to understand all of this. But one thing was obvious. His parents had lied to him. He had been lied to, kept in the dark his entire life. Something happened all those years ago, in a house he couldn`t remember living in. Why his parents had decided to keep it a secret from him, he couldn`t even begin to understand.

An unyielding feeling of rage started welling up in his chest. Why had they lied to him? All he had ever done was to love them. Why had they betrayed him like this? Betrayed his love, his incredible sense of respect for them.

"Unforgivable…" Harry hissed to himself. He would never forgive them for this. He deserved to know the truth. He wanted to know the truth. Why? Why?

The questions were too many, too complicated. Getting answers would take time. It would most likely be a painful progress, and something told him he might not like the answers he was given. But he had to know. He just had to. This was too personal. It was his identity, who he was as a person.

"It`s who I am," Harry whispered into the darkness of the room, the realization of his parents betrayal leaving him with a hollow feeling. He had to know.

…

The Ravenclaw common room was just as empty as the dormitories. There was nobody around, and Harry quickly hurried out of the tower towards the Great Hall. If there were any students around at all, that`s where they would be. The questions fresh in his mind, he decided to stay silent about the extraordinary experience he had just had. He was going to figure things out on his own from now on. He wasn`t going to rely on anyone else for information. This was his mission, his quest.

There were multiple students gathered in the Great Hall. It appeared to be around lunchtime, and the tables were covered with all sorts of foods and drinks. Harry found his seat next to his Ravenclaw classmates, which sent him questioning glares as he sat down. He avoided their looks completely, and started grabbing bread and bacon as if nothing was wrong. The others, however, wasn`t going to let him go so easily.

"So, Harry, mind telling us why you`ve been fast asleep for the past two days?" someone asked.

 _It`s been two days? Was I really out for that long?_

"I`ve been dreaming," Harry answered nonchalantly, stuffing his mouth with the bacon sandwich he had just made. Dear Godric, he was hungry.

"Dreaming?" a feminine voice asked, and Harry immediately recognized it as Hermione`s.

"Yes, dreaming," he nodded between the mouthfuls of food he was stuffing his mouth with.

"He sure is hungry at least…," a person he recognized as Anthony Goldstein muttered. Harry pretended like he didn`t hear that particular comment, and continued wolfing down the bacon sandwich.

"Give it up guys, he isn`t going to tell us anything," Michael Corner stated, casually looking down at his own food. "He`s the Boy Who Lived for Godric`s sake, of course he isn`t going to tell us something he doesn`t want us to know".

Harry felt a surge of gratitude towards his fellow Ravenclaw, and stopped eating for a moment in order to send him a thankful smile. He seemed to understand his need for secrecy, despite not knowing Harry at all on a personal level.

Hermione, on the other hand, didn`t seem to be satisfied with that answer. Harry made a mental note to be extra careful around her. She seemed like the kind of girl who would stop at nothing to get a satisfactory answer.

"So, what classes do we have today?" Harry asked in an attempt to switch the topic.

"It`s Saturday, Harry," Hermione answered, a clear hint of frustration in her voice.

 _Damn it._

…

 **A/N: And thus, "The Library Incident" comes to a conclusion. I will continue to try to upload one chapter every week, but like always, I make no promises. I am on a winter break right now, so I will try my best to at least write one more chapter before school starts again. If you enjoyed the read, please do leave a review, it takes 30 seconds and you don`t even need an account. And I will see you guys in the next chapter!**

 **-Twisted**


	7. Nightly Endeavours

**A/N: I am truly sorry that I haven`t been able to post this chapter before now, there is an immense amount of research that goes into each and every chapter in order to avoid plotholes. The Harry Potter universe is one of the most complex universes to write fanfiction in, and every time I dive deeper into the ends of the official wiki, I find myself amused by just how deep the universe and the lore actually is. If you have some spare time, I would definitely recommend reading up on some of the curriculum from the History of Magic class. It is very intriguing stuff. But I digress, enjoy the chapter!**

The cauldron sizzled and reeked violently of something closely resembling ammonia. The thick substance started bubbling as it hit its boiling point, and the purple flames that burned underneath licked the underside of the iron cauldron as it heated up the contents within. Harry watched in awe as the brown mush slowly took on a floating, grey color that bubbled fiercely.

The potion was, of course, the Invisibility Potion, a strong beverage that would make the taker completely invisible to the naked eye. Only a well-trained wizard would be able to notice the presence of someone who had used it, which was entirely okay, since Harry wasn`t planning on using it in the vicinity of anyone who possessed such abilities. He simply needed it to bypass Argus Filch, the caretaker at Hogwarts, and his bothersome cat.

Harry`s quest for answers had barely begun, but he had already picked up on some quite nifty information. Yesterday, whilst on his way to Herbology class, Harry found himself having an out-of-body experience. It was as if his very being got ripped out of its flesh, and set free to float around in the empty space surrounding his body. His actual individual remained completely still, as if struck by lightning and still fighting the effects of the aftershock.

Whilst in this "spiritual form", if you would, a room on the 7th floor of the castle revealed itself. The curious thing was, Harry didn`t actually see the room itself. He merely felt its presence, a strange shockwave of power coming from the 7th floor. After the out-of-body experience ended (and after a quick visit to Madam Pomfrey to make sure he wasn`t going insane), Harry immediately headed for the library, effectively skipping class. He had to know if such a room actually existed within the castle` walls.

After a long and cumbersome search, he came across a dusty old tome in the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library, and it described a room rumored to be located on the 7th floor of the castle. Apparently, the room only revealed itself if the person looking for it was in great need of it. The book called it the "Room of Requirement". Harry had decided that his need for answers would suffice, and hoped that the room would recognize his burning desire to know just exactly what happened that night so many years ago, and why his parents had kept so many aspects regarding the wizarding world hidden from him.

To say that Harry wanted answers was a grave understatement. His entire being surged with the need to know more, to understand, to comprehend. Harry`s abnormally high IQ only contributed to this, as it hungered for more knowledge. His entire life, he had looked up to his parents as the only ones who wouldn`t lie to him, who would always be by his side. Now that he had learnt of their secrets, he wanted nothing more than to expose them, strip them clean of any lies and ask them just what the hell they thought they were doing.

Harry felt his entire body brimming with anticipation of the night ahead, and the discoveries he might make. The question was though; would he like the answers he found? Would his search eventually lead to some grim conclusion that would leave him with few other options but to cut all ties with his parents?

Harry shuddered at the thought of doing something so barbaric, and the cold chill that ran through his body made the hair on his back stand up in protest. There was no way he would have the strength required to do something like that. The love he held for his parents was too strong, it`s grip too firm. But despite all of this, he knew he had to find answers. And nobody was going to give him any answers if he didn`t go looking for them.

Pulling out an empty vial from his pocket, Harry carefully maneuvered it towards the surface of the grey substance. The potion was almost done, and Harry would have to drink it as soon as possible after its completion to obtain maximum effect. Despite its bubbly nature, the substance was cold to touch, and could be drunk straight away. After deliberately filling up the empty vial, Harry pocketed his newly brewed potion, and spent a few minutes cleaning up the mess. Getting rid of evidence was a tricky process, and required utmost attention to detail. Any smudge or trace left behind could be a clue for Mr. Filch and his cat.

Another trip to the library (Harry did spend a lot of time in the library, he was a particularly gifted individual after all, and he had always preferred the company of books over actual human contact) a couple of days ago had brought a spell called "The Vanishing Spell" to his attention. It was a rather complex spell, and required precise wand movements and the phrase "Evanesco" to be uttered in a clear and authoritative tone. The spell fell within the category Transfiguration, and it was apparently one of the most complicated spells taught at Ordinary Wizarding Level of Transfiguration. At first, Harry had been absolutely certain that he wouldn`t be able to do it correctly, and had given it no more thought, but whilst laying in bed that exact day, something had made him remember it, and he had given it a go anyways. After a couple of tries, he found himself able to vanish small objects and stains, something he shouldn`t have been able to do before many years down the line. Every time he thought about performing the spell, it was as if some voice inside of him instructed him with a cold tone on exactly how to do it, and made it happen. It was without a doubt one of the weirdest feelings Harry had ever felt.

"Evanesco," Harry said with a strict and hard voice, doing the correct wand movements with his Holly wand outstretched. The stains and other mess left behind by his potion brewing immediately disappeared, dissolving into oblivion. He put away his wand, took a firm grip around the Invisibility Potion concealed in his pocket and headed out of the Ravenclaw boys' dorm. Time to go hunting for answers.

…

The Ravenclaw common room was, as usual, filled with students sitting around doing homework or other assignments. The "brainy" House of Hogwarts certainly lived up to its reputation, with exceptionally intelligent students diligently doing their tasks. Harry spotted Hermione helping a fellow classmate with his Charms homework, but she appeared to be having a hard time, because the guy she was helping seemed to be more keen on chatting her up than the actual assignment itself. Harry stifled a chuckle as he walked past her, playfully bumping his elbow into her side as to tell her that he had noticed her struggles. She sent him a pleading look, but quickly returned to defusing the rather horrible pickup-lines the guy continuously kept throwing at her.

Harry casually wandered out of the common room, taking a left down the corridor heading towards the Great Hall and the dungeons. In a couple of minutes, Argus Filch would make his way into the Ravenclaw Tower, proclaiming loudly to all of the students that curfew was in effect and, as such, forbidding anyone from wandering around the castle at night. Luckily enough for Harry, he had his Invisibility Potion. Filch wouldn`t be catching him sneaking around tonight.

The castle was eerily quiet at night. The moonlight flooding in through the castle`s windows cast long shadows that stretched far into the hallways. A deafening silence filled the emptiness left in the wake of the several hundred students that were usually there during daytime. It was as if the very castle itself was sleeping, slowly drawing breath every once in a while, causing the entirety of its interior to creak and scrape.

Harry quickly pulled out the vial and unscrewed the cork. The floating, grey liquid emitted a strange smell, something akin to that of early morning rain. He took a deep breath, before chugging down all of the vial`s content in one mouthful. His stomach twisted violently at the appearance of this new substance, before settling down with a barely audible rumble.

Harry felt his entire body starting to transform. His arms and legs felt lighter. It felt like most of his body weight simply disappeared, leaving him with a feeling of being able to sprint for several miles without getting tired. A quick look down told him that he was indeed completely invisible. A bizarre feeling of nausea appeared at the notion of not being able to see his own body, but Harry quickly shrugged it off before heading down the corridor towards the staircase that would lead him to the 7th floor. He had to find this "Room of Requirement".

…

His footsteps sent echoes rumbling through the narrow, twisting corridors of Hogwarts. The feeling of being alone in the dark seemed to intensify with every step he took, but Harry knew that he could not turn back now. If he did, he was certain he would never forgive himself. Despite being exceptionally intelligent for his age, Harry was only twelve years old, and a part of him had always feared what could be hiding in the shadows. He anxiously studied his environment as he slowly made his way towards the staircase. This was going to be a very long night indeed.

After walking for a couple of minutes, Harry encountered an unforeseen complication: the sub-zero temperature. The cold, stone floor certainly didn`t help "warm up" the freezing hallways, and Harry couldn`t help but miss the warmth of his bed in the Ravenclaw dormitory. The temperature, strangely enough, seemed to drop the closer he got to the 7th floor. Such an anomaly could probably just be shrugged off as a normal thing in Hogwarts, it was a school for wizards after all and it hardly followed the normal rules of the universe. But something about it made the hair on Harry`s back stand up, and a cold burst of concern making its way through Harry`s body made him shiver. Maybe he should turn back. The more he thought about it, the sillier it seemed. He didn`t even know if this room existed, let alone where it would be located.

However, as these thoughts started circulating around inside his head, he felt a slight tug towards the staircase. It was barely noticeable, but it was definitely there. Something was telling Harry to walk up the stairs.

" _Why is this… entity… helping me?"_

"Because you are special, Harry".

The voice made him jump in surprise, the blood freezing to ice in his veins. Who else would spend their evening walking aimlessly around the castle but him? He was too scared to turn around and face the voice, afraid of who or what it might be.

"It`s alright Harry, it`s me, Albus", the voice reassured him in a warm tone. Harry felt his heart slowly starting to beat again in his chest, melting away the ice that had formed inside of him. Albus Dumbledore. The headmaster. He turned around. There was nobody there.

"Wha…"

The curse hit him straight in the back, knocking him off his feet. There was no withstanding the extraordinary strength, and he was pushed forwards. He hit the floor with a painful thud, the sound of his arm breaking clearly audible in the otherwise silent hallway. Pain flooded through his body, washing away any trace of logical thinking. Harry couldn`t speak, couldn`t think, couldn`t breath. The pain was too much to endure. He did the only thing that made sense. He blacked out.

…

The world appeared like a blurred mess as Harry slowly opened his eyes. The unclear shapes and sizes slowly took a more concrete form as his eyes adjusted to the new environment. He was in a white room, which he recognized as the Hospital Wing. Judging by the bright sunlight that flooded through the windows, it was sometime around the morning hours of the day. Someone must have found him unconscious in the hallway, and carried him to the Hospital Wing.

After establishing where he was, Harry went on to inspecting his own body. His arms appeared to be fully functional again, and there was no sign of his arm ever being broken. He knew that Madam Pomfrey was a talented witch, but to have the ability to mend broken bones within a few hours? Extraordinary.

"Ahh, Mr. Potter. You are awake I see," a soft female voice said. Madam Pomfrey came into view a second later, her intense blue eyes locking with his in an acute staring contest. "You really should be more careful, this is the second time in under a week you come to visit my Hospital Wing," she remarked dryly, pulling away to grab a Blood-Replenishing Potion. She handed it to him, indicating that he should drink it.

"Now, as for your injuries, you were hit with a Severing Charm, which made a rather deep cut in your back. I have healed it up to the best of my abilities, but you may experience back pain for some time. As to how you broke your arm, I really have no clue. Maybe you got unlucky and broke it in the fall," she finished, looking down at the notepad she held in one of her hands.

"Umm, excuse me for asking, Madam Pomfrey, but is the Severing Charm a particularly powerful charm? Could it knock a person off his feet?" Harry asked with a surprisingly sore throat. Madam Pomfrey seemed to ponder over this for a second, before slowly shaking her head.

"No, Mr. Potter, the Severing Charm only cuts things, it doesn`t knock them off-balance".

 _What? How come I was pushed that far into the hallway then? There was no withstanding the amount of power that hit me in the back, that I am sure of._

"You look bewildered, Mr. Potter, is something amiss?"

"Forgive me, Madam Pomfrey, but when I was… attacked… I am pretty sure I wasn`t hit with a Severing Charm. The power of the spell knocked me off my feet, causing me to break my arm in the fall. If the charm works as you described, it can`t have been the Severing Charm that hit me."

Madam Pomfrey raised her eyebrows in surprise and cocked her head ever so slightly to the right. The confusion in her eyes was obvious, and Harry could practically hear her mind racing to find an answer to exactly what type of spell might have hit him, if it wasn`t the Severing Charm. She was interrupted by the door to the Hospital Wing flying open, and in came Professor McGonagall.

"Mr. Potter? Professor Dumbledore would like to have a word with you," she stated with her typical stern voice. Harry had grown rather accustomed to it by now, despite his relatively short stay on Hogwarts so far. Her Scottish accent was rather apparent, and it was, in a strange way, somewhat charming.

Harry let out a shaky sigh, before slowly getting up out of bed. He was immediately met with a sudden head rush, and had to sit back down again. Madam Pomfrey indicated yet again to the Blood-Replenishing Potion resting calmly at the side of his bed. Harry sighed again, this time in defeat, and picked it up. Its rather thick texture and god-awful taste made him retch, but he forced it down anyway. Madam Pomfrey sent him a warm smile as he handed her the empty vial.

"It seems I have you to thank for my swift recovery. Thank you, Madam Pomfrey," he mumbled awkwardly, staring at the ground. Madam Pomfrey let out a weak sigh, before slowly lifting his head back up to face her.

"I`m only doing my job, Mr. Potter, you don`t have to thank me. Now off you go, you better not keep the Headmaster waiting," she answered. Harry nodded in agreement, and rose to his feet. Professor McGonagall waited patiently for him to cross the room and join her on his way to the Headmaster`s office.

"This is the second time this week you have ended up in the Hospital Wing, Mr. Potter. This time, you injuries were a lot more serious than last. I do not know what it is you kids do in your spare time these days, but I better not see you in here again for a while!" she stated sternly, locking him with a hard stare. Harry could do nothing but nod as he felt his face slowly starting to heat up. He had been careless. An Invisibility Potion? In a school full of wizards? How could he possibly have imagined that nobody would notice his presence?

He would have to be a lot more careful in the future. Now that he knew that someone in the school was willing to assault him, he had to watch his back.

"This sure isn`t going easy," he muttered silently to himself.

…

 **This chapter was noticeably longer than my usual ones. I hope you appreciate that. The majority of my chapters are written in class (what, I can get bored too, believe it or not) but I`m fairly certain that it doesn`t affect the overall quality of the chapters themselves. If you enjoyed the read, please do leave a review, as they help me improve as a writer, and will ultimately improve the reading experience. Other than that, I am super hungry, and I will see you guys in the next chapter!**

 **-Twisted**


	8. A Striking Meeting

**A/N: Salutations, my fellow earthlings! I return from my somewhat long hiatus, and I come bearing gifts! Said gifts being the 9th chapter of Harry Potter and the Darkness Within! ...**

 **On a more serious note, I want to express my utmost gratitude towards all of you for the tremendous support I received on the last chapter. Over a thousand people have joined our ranks from my previous chapter alone, something that makes me feel incredibly blessed and lucky. I do wish more of you would leave a review though. I love reading those, but there is a clear lack of them, despite several thousand people reading each chapter. Not good people! You gotta "step up" your review game! But alas, I digress. Enjoy the chapter!**

Despite her old age, Professor McGonagall was in a relatively good shape, and Harry found himself struggling to keep up with her brisk pace. Her strict determination combined with her unyielding stubbornness created the very incarnation of the phrase "strong, independent woman". After giving it some thought, Harry started to wonder if Professor McGonagall perhaps was a supporter of the feminist movement.

" _Is there such a thing as discrimination in the wizarding world? Or is it strictly a muggle-born concept, limited to their society?"_

As Harry pondered over the mysteries of the universe, Professor McGonagall came to a sudden halt as she stopped in front of the stone Gargoyle. The beautiful sculpture oozed of talent and creativity, and Harry found himself admiring the statue with great interest. It was obvious that the huge stone Gargoyle had been crafted with tremendous care and dedication, with a most noteworthy attention to detail. Its surface was smooth to touch, and radiated a special warmth that reminded Harry of the feeling he got from being home in his house in Godric´s Hollow. Whether it was caused by magic or by his ever-growing melancholy, Harry did not know, but he appreciated the sensation nonetheless.

" _I wonder if I can ever feel the same way about my home again…"_ Harry thought despairingly to himself. His parents' betrayal had left a huge mark on his character, and the bitterness was still fresh in his mind. He had to know what happened that night. He just had to.

" _But lets not get sidetracked here; I need to focus on the task at hand"_.

"Sherbet Lemon," Professor McGonagall suddenly said with a rigid voice. The stone Gargoyle immediately responded to her command, and stepped aside to reveal a stone staircase spiraling upwards. Professor McGonagall gestured for Harry to go ahead, and he swallowed hard to combat the growing lump in his throat. Harry had never been to the Headmaster`s office before, and his mind filled itself with all sorts of wild projections about what it could possibly look like.

Harry carefully placed his foot on the first step, only to be met with a creaking sound. Professor McGonagall gently pushed him forward, indicating for him to move further up the staircase. He deliberately took another step, making room for Professor McGonagall. Suddenly, the staircase started moving. At first, Harry thought it to be some sort of magical illusion, but he was quickly proven wrong as the entire staircase started rotating upwards, slowly lifting the two of them up towards a large, oaken door. When the staircase came to a halt, Harry gently knocked on the door, awaiting confirmation from the inside that he could indeed enter the Headmaster`s premises.

He didn´t have to wait long. The door magically opened itself up, revealing a large and beautiful circular room. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tainted wizard's hat — the Sorting Hat.

After taking in the rather stunning sight of the office, Harry noticed a peculiar-looking bird resting on a perch behind the door. The scarlet, swan-sized bird boasted a golden beak and talons, black eyes, and a tail as long as a peacock's. Its head slowly turned around, until it locked eyes with Harry. He immediately felt a faint warmth emanating from the bird as he stared into those vast eyes, its glow heating up his very soul.

"Hello there, birdie…" Harry cooed, gently approaching the mysterious creature. It kept its eyes locked at him for a couple of seconds, before doing something immensely unexpected. With a soft cry, its entire body spontaneously combusted into flames, the raw heat absorbing the bird and turning it to ash. Harry jumped back in surprise, his heart beating ferociously in his chest. What did he just witness…?

"Umm, Professor McGonagall? I think… I think this bird here just committed suicide?" he muttered, his heart refusing to slow down its rapid pace. Was he really so hideously ugly that even birds would rather kill themselves than look at him?

"Worry not, Mr. Potter, that bird is a Phoenix. It has a unique ability that allows it to expand its lifecycle by several millennia. You just witnessed the start of a new life for this particular phoenix, also known as the Burning Day". The calm, aged voice hit Harry like a sedative, and his heart immediately slowed down its hasty beating. The Headmaster circled around Harry to take a closer look at the ashes of the once majestic phoenix.

"When its body reaches the end of its lifespan, the phoenix will burst into flames, and rise again as a chick from the ashes of its predecessor. This allows the phoenix to live for an astonishingly long amount of time, and gives it the ability to for instance remain immune to the effects of a basilisk`s gaze…" the Headmaster muttered as he bent down to closer inspect the ashes. He gently swiped his finger over the remains, and uncovered a tiny, cooing chick. Its tiny eyes stared up at the Headmaster, and a warm smile spread across his face.

"This phoenix has been with me for a very long time, and his name is Fawkes. I do hope you will treat him with respect, Harry, because despite being a bird, it holds great knowledge of our world".

Harry stared at the peculiar creature resting in the ashes. Its tiny beak opened wide as it let out a small squeak of satisfaction, obviously contented with its new form. The ability to extend your lifecycle an indefinite amount of times, huh? Perhaps a meticulously brewed potion could achieve the same result? One would undoubtedly have to use illegal ingredients in the brewing process, and it would require a tremendous amount of skill within the Alchemy field, but was it possible? Moreover, was it possible without meddling in the dark arts?

" _Even the slightest chance of success is enough for me,"_ Harry decided, right there and then. After taking care of his parents` betrayal, his next goal would be to brew a potion that would allow its taker to expand his or hers lifecycle, and he would do it without the use of dark magic. It was a quest of unfathomable difficulty, but Harry felt a strange conviction that he would be able to do it. Maybe not in the near future, but definitely someday.

The Headmaster ripped him out of his daydream by coughing, and Harry quickly responded to the Headmasters` previous statement.

"Yes of course, Headmaster, I would never treat such a delicate creature with nothing but the utmost respect". Dumbledore seemed to appreciate this answer, and nodded ever so slightly.

"I expected nothing less of you, Harry. Now, onto the matter at hand…"

The Headmaster gave Fawkes one last stroke, before heading over to the claw-footed desk. He serenely gestured for Harry to sit down on the opposite side.

"Now, I`ve been told that you were found unconscious in a corridor heading towards the 7th floor earlier today, with severe wounds covering your body. Do you have any recollection of the moments prior to falling unconscious?"

Harry had taken some time to prepare for these types of questions, so he already knew exactly what he was going to say.

"That night, I couldn`t sleep, so I decided to take a stroll around the school grounds. I know that wandering around Hogwarts during the night is prohibited, but I couldn`t help myself. I love taking midnight strolls. It helps me think and clear my mind of yesterday`s troubles," Harry rambled, trying his utmost to sound as convincing as possible.

"After walking for some time, I had a vague notion that someone was watching me from the shadows. I stopped to listen, and that`s when the cu… spell… hit me," he corrected. Harry silently cursed himself for being so careless. If he said it was a curse instead of a spell, the Headmaster might think it more serious than Harry wanted him to. He needed as much elbow room as possible to conduct his research, and the last thing he wanted was Dumbledore`s eyes on him the whole time.

Dumbledore stared at him with a distant look on his face, as if remembering an old memory from a time long since passed. Suddenly, Harry noticed an unusually faint tingling sensation in the back of his skull, as if someone was very gently poking him with a stick. On top of this, he couldn`t bring himself to look away from the Headmaster`s eyes, like he was locked in some twisted version of a staring contest. Dumbledore`s eyes emanated something which could only be described as ancient wisdom, an unrivalled source of knowledge more vast than anyone could truly begin to fathom.

" _Legilimency"_.

The crude, rasping voice hit him out of nowhere. Abruptly, for a short while, Harry lost control of his own brain. Every thought, every memory was pushed away: leaving nothing but the monotonous obscurity that was the endless blackness. The… being… had taken control of his mind, and despite his best efforts, Harry could do nothing but spectate as the entity swiftly rid his consciousness of any trace of thought.

Dumbledore visibly recoiled from the surprise, clutching the side of his head with his right hand, blinking rapidly. As the connection broke, Harry felt the entity that lived inside of him withdraw, returning the control of his mind to him.

Professor McGonagall, who had waited patiently at the other end of the room, rushed to the Headmaster`s side, calling his name with clear concern. Dumbledore was panting expeditiously, his entire body shivering ever so slightly.

"Such an endless darkness…" he panted in-between his hurried breaths. Professor McGonagall snapped her head up, and sent me the most furious look I had ever received in my entire life.

"What… did… you… do… to…him?" she wheezed, desperately trying to quell the internal rage that was threatening to burst out at any second.

"I… I don`t know, I swear Professor!" Harry shouted, with complete earnest. He honestly had no idea what just happened. And what was it the being had told him? _Legilimency?_ What did that mean?

"What are you, Harry Potter?" the Headmaster heaved.

…

It took Dumbledore a good while to calm down. What he had just witnessed was beyond his understanding. He had walked this earth for 110 years, and never in his long life had he encountered a more skilled Occlumens than the 11-year old boy sitting in front of him. How the boy had come to possess such a huge aptitude that rivalled even that of Salazar Slytherin in Occlumency, he could not even pretend to understand. What was even more peculiar, however, was that the boy appeared to be just as bewildered as he was.

"Harry, I cannot even begin to comprehend the full nature of exactly what happened here a few moments ago. I simply do not understand it. I pray, however, that you do not share this particular event with anyone, and I do mean anyone, even your closest friends. I need time to consider this carefully, and weigh our options. I will not pry any further when it comes to your… state of mind, so to speak, at least not today," Dumbledore explained, trying his best to appear as calm as possible. In reality, he was about two nanoseconds away from walking off the deep end.

The young boy sitting in front of him nodded vigorously, clear concern plastered across his face. He looked so innocent, so fragile… but to think that a boy could possess such an ancient darkness… it made his heart sink.

"I must bid you farewell for tonight, Mr. Potter. This whole endeavor has taken its toll on me, and I fear I may need much time and rest in order to regain my energy. Madam Pomfrey, if you would be so kind as to escort Mr. Potter here back to the dormitories".

Madam Pomfrey hesitated for a second, but quickly regained her senses and nodded. The boy slowly got up from the chair, still staring at him with worry in his eyes. He joined Madam Pomfrey by the door, and let himself be lead down the staircase, out of the Headmaster`s office. As the door closed behind them, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore let out a long sigh.

There was no doubt about it; Harry Potter was an enigma. A riddle he had to solve. However, if he solved it, Albus had a strong feeling he wouldn`t like what he found. The immense darkness the boy harbored was stronger than anything he had ever felt before. He couldn`t help but feel a sting of pride at the boy`s tenacity. To keep something like that at bay…

Albus slowly got up from the enormous, claw-footed desk. Fawkes squeaked gently from amidst the ashes, and the shrill sound of his voice calmed Albus down. A phoenix was known to have healing capabilities, both for the mind and the body. Albus could feel Fawkes` stare, but it didn`t feel intrusive or negative in any way. On the contrary, it was comforting, soothing and calming to know that the phoenix had his back.

"I wonder what you make of this, Fawkes…" Albus mumbled, gently stroking the tiny bird across its soft head. "It would seem like our original plan for him must wait. A more… pressing matter has presented itself. I must correct this if the plan is to go as expected".

Fawkes squeaked in agreement.

…

That night, Harry didn`t sleep very well. Every time he thought he was about to fall asleep, the darkness started seeping into his mind, showing him pictures and forgotten memories he didn`t want to remember. Most of them centered on a man that he for some reason knew was his real father. They shared some of the same appearance, and compared side-by-side; it was obvious that they were related in some way.

He woke up when the darkness showed him the green flash that had killed his real father for the fourth time. Its appearance was that of twisted lightning, gleaming with a sickly green color that made him want to throw up. It was so malevolent by nature that Harry shuddered every time he thought about it. To think that such a spell, no, curse, existed, made him sick.

" _You are afraid of that which you do not understand"_

The raspy voice was back, grating its way across his cranium.

 _Why won`t you go away? Why me, out of all the people on earth, why me?_

" _You are more exceptional than you realize"_

 _I don`t need you! I don`t want you!_

" _And yet, here I am"_

It was starting to hurt now. Harry could feel the blood in his veins pump to his head, steadily increasing the headache he had had all afternoon.

" _You think you have power, but in reality, you are weak. You think you can see, but you are blind. Let me show you what real power is"_

The voice was rising in intensity now, the words imprinting themselves into his bone marrow. It felt as if someone was painstakingly dragging a hot knife across his head, scorching and burning his skin. He wanted nothing more than for the suffering to end. At one point, he even wanted to die.

The pain didn`t stop, it kept getting stronger and stronger, pushing him closer and closer to his breaking point. Just when Harry thought he couldn`t take it anymore, the pain vanished as a light does when you cut the power.

" _Do you now see? A grown man could not even endure two seconds of the torture I just inflicted upon you. You are more than you seem, Harry Potter"_

As the voice slowly grew more and more distant, Harry could feel sleepiness threatening to overtake him. The pain he had just experienced felt like a faint memory, like the distant aching of an old wound. As he succumbed to sleep, he heard a distant voice call out to him, before losing consciousness completely.

...

 **A/N: And thus, another chapter ends! It`s taking me too long to make these. But please, if you enjoyed the read, do leave a review! They help me improve as an author, and they make me feel giddy inside so just f*cking leave them okay? Other than that, I will see you guys in the next chapter!**

 **-Twisted**


	9. Pragmatic Nightmares

**A/N: Yet again my incompetence and lack of proper scheduling shines through as I bring you the latest chapter in the now renamed Harry Potter and the Darkness Within. This time, I have not prepared any excuses as to why I`m so extremely slow when it comes to releasing chapters. It`s just how things are, I guess. But I do however have some news for you. The next couple of weeks are going to be exam weeks for me. For those of you that don`t understand what that implies, it essentially means that I`ll be super busy, and won`t be able to post any chapters. Sorry about that. But for now, enjoy this chapter!**

 _Harry grinned triumphantly as he marched his way forwards through the scorched streets of Diagon Alley. The otherwise busy shopping area that served as the center of magical activity in Britain was now completely barren, and void of any trace of life. His wild rampage had sent the few wizards still meandering about fleeing like headless chicken at his feet._

 _During his twelve years on this earth, Harry had never felt so powerful. Energy flowed through his veins in such an abundance that it made him feel like he was about to implode. His very soul practically begged him to release all of the stored-up magical energy, and he did so through the discharge of devastating spells. Every time the abundant energy became too much to bear, a forceful blast of green light shot out of his wand, laying waste to anything it came across. The destruction and despair only fueled his lust to destroy, to annihilate, to kill._

 _Harry, or whoever he was now, hated the world. He had trusted it, and it had betrayed him. For that, it had to pay. Blood would be spilled. He didn`t care whom he killed. They were all guilty in his eyes. They deserved no mercy._

 _A man in black robes fell to his knees in front of Harry as he approached him. Behind him was a small child, barely four years old. The man begged for mercy, tears streaking down his face. He had abandoned his dignity, his pride, everything he had in a futile attempt to save his child._

" _Take me if you want, but don`t hurt my child, I beg you!" the man cried. He was sobbing now, shaking with fear and sadness._

 _Harry struck him down with the killing curse. The man`s body tensed up as the green ray of light hit him in the chest, before falling limp. The four-year-old boy started crying. Harry killed him too._

 _Weakness disgusted him. The man should`ve attempted to kill him. He should`ve defended his child, instead of begging for mercy. They both deserved to die._

 _A blond girl came running towards the newly slain bodies. She threw herself down next to the father, calling out his name in a shrill voice filled with sorrow. Harry simply left her there, leaving the girl to cry her tears of anguish and misery._

 _Why did she waste her tears and emotions on someone like that? They were dogs that deserved to perish, nothing more._

 _Harry continued his bloody crusade down the streets of Diagon Alley. Everywhere he looked, another wizard ran for his life. They all lacked the courage to face him. How pitiful. Humankind was weak. Who were they to proclaim that they were at the top of the food chain?_

 _Humans had deluded themselves into thinking they were invincible. It enraged Harry to no end. He had to make them feel the fear they had suppressed for so long. And Harry knew exactly where to start._

" _Dumbledore…" Harry rasped in a dreadful, icy voice that was not his own. "I`m coming for you"._

…

Harry`s eyes flew open as a jolt of pure terror reverberated throughout his entire body. He was burning up, and the bed was soaked in sweat. His heartbeat was out of control, beating like a drum against his ribcage. The darkness of the dormitory surrounded him, and his imagination showed him abhorrent creatures hiding in the shadows.

Harry had always prided himself on being a logical man. There wasn`t a single unreasonable bone in his body, and as a young boy, he had never been afraid of the dark.

But for the first time in his relatively short life, Harry was truly and thoroughly scared. Terrified, in fact. The darkness seemed to consume all the light, and the pressing atmosphere made his head hurt. Everywhere he looked, he could feel malicious stares watching him, observing and waiting for a moment of weakness to strike.

The horrors of his nightmare were still fresh in his mind, and Harry could practically hear the souls of the deceased calling his name, demanding vengeance.

"Please… don`t hurt me… I didn`t mean to…" Harry cried, desperately shaking his head.

Their voices grew louder, and he could feel their anger echoing through his body. They would show him no mercy, just as he had to them.

Harry could feel hot tears streaking down the side of his face, but he didn`t care anymore. He was downright petrified, and all control of his own body was lost. Shaking violently, he somehow managed to pull his duvet over his head in a desperate attempt at hiding from the horror, and the creatures that lurked in the shadows.

"Please, someone… help me…" he mumbled into his pillow as a huge sob escaped his throat. "Please…"

Just as Harry felt the creatures outside of his bed closing in, a blinding white light appeared out of nowhere. The evil beings surrounding his bed screamed in fury, and Harry could`ve sworn he had never heard such a gruesome sound. Their rasping voices scraped at his eardrums, almost making him go deaf.

And just like that, Harry woke up.

…

As he slowly opened his eyes, he felt something soft and almost silken-like against his face. The overwhelming smell of something resembling ginger shampoo struck his nostrils, and Harry couldn`t help but let out a satisfied groan as he shifted around slightly.

"Harry… are you awake?"

The feminine voice hit him like lightning from a clear sky, and he immediately jumped up into an upright sitting position. The voice, as he found, belonged to none other than Hermione Granger. His face flushed a deep shade of crimson as he slowly pieced together what had happened, and where his face had been.

But all those thoughts evaporated from his mind when he realized that something was wrong. Tears were rolling down Hermione`s cheeks, and she had a desperate look in her eyes.

"Uhm… Hermione? Is everything okay?"

"Harry… what is going on with you?" she whispered, wiping the tears from her face.

"Why are you here? What happened?" he asked with clear uncertainty.

"Class had just finished and I was going to drop off some of my books in the girls' dorm, when I heard…" her voice cut off, devolving into a simple whimper. Without hesitation, Harry placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it.

"What did you hear, Hermione?"

"I heard… I heard screams coming from the boys` dorm… it sounded like someone was dying, Harry", she muttered, shaking her head. "I was scared beyond reason, and so I went to investigate, and when I came up here, I saw you, trashing wildly around on the floor and begging for mercy…" Recalling what had happened seemed to cause her great pain, and fresh tears threatened to burst out yet again.

Harry didn`t know what to do. He couldn`t recall ever going to sleep last night. The only thing he remembered was the anger he had felt as he marched down Diagon Alley…

His eyes went wide when he realized what had happened.

His rampage through Diagon Alley, the creatures surrounding his bed, the anger, the fear… It had all been a dream. No, a nightmare.

"Hermione… I`m so sorry… I didn`t mean to scare you. I`m okay, I promise," he said in an attempt to comfort her. It didn`t work. Her stare latched onto him, and he could see the disbelief shining like a beacon in her eyes. She didn`t believe him one bit.

"No, Harry, you are not okay. Nobody that does anything even close to what you just did is okay. Why do you insist on lying to me?" she said with newfound ferocity. Harry couldn`t help but sigh as Hermione`s stare bore into him. She was right. There was no point in lying. If she had found him in such a state, there was nothing he could say that would convince her to let it go. He would have to tell her the truth.

"Okay, Hermione. I promise I`ll tell you the truth… later," he resigned, sending her a weak smile.

"What do you mean by later? Later today, later tomorrow, later this year?" she asked, returning to her old self.

"Just… later, okay?" Harry laughed, giving her shoulder another gentle squeeze. Despite her sad mood, Hermione couldn`t help but join in, laughing weakly as she placed her own hand on top of his.

If it wasn`t for the absurdity of the situation, Harry would`ve found it to be quite pleasant, sitting here with Hermione. Suddenly, another thought made its way into his mind. Hermione was in the boys` dorm. The dormitories were designed so that people couldn`t enter the bedchambers of the opposite gender. Many a night had been spent with some of the boys desperately trying to get past the staircase leading up to the girls` dorm. So far, it had proved itself an impossible task, but somehow, Hermione had managed to get over that hindrance.

For a brief moment, Harry wondered if he should ask her how she did it, and then present the answer to the other boys. If he did, he would practically be crowned a god among men, and he would have the undying respect of every male member in the Ravenclaw house.

Harry quickly shook the thought from his mind before the allure of power became too much for a twelve-year-old boy to bear.

"Ahh, I forgot to ask: what time is it?" Harry asked nonchalantly as he got up on his feet. Hermione furrowed her brows as she tried to remember the last time she checked.

"Umm, if I`m not mistaken (which I rarely am), it should be around… dinner time" she answered.

The answer came as a surprise. Had he really slept for that long? Professor McGonagall was sure to kill him if she found out he had skipped a full day worth of school.

"Really? Oh, well I suppose we should head to the Great Hall then," Harry stated as he went to put on some more fitting clothes. He was yet again surprised to find himself wearing his usual attire, although his clothes were somewhat dirty.

" _I suppose I can clean them later,"_ Harry thought to himself as he headed out of the boys` dorm.

Hermione stood waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase, and together they headed out of the Ravenclaw Tower and towards the Great Hall.

…

The Hall was filled to the brim with students, and the tables were decked with meals of all shapes and sizes. From Roasted Honey-Glazed Spareribs to Macaroni and Cheese, the selection of food present at Hogwarts was truly a food enthusiast`s dream. Harry felt his stomach rumble at the sight of a juicy entrecote that was practically begging him to eat it.

Hermione and Harry found their spot on the Ravenclaw table, and was immediately met with the sound of people talking about yesterday`s homework and tomorrow`s schoolwork. The Ravenclaw House was essentially a melting pot for intelligent wizards from all across Britain, and the students had unknowingly created a friendly competition where everyone tried to show off their intellect.

Harry didn`t mind this, as it helped him get his thoughts off the horrible nightmare he had had just moments earlier. The delicious meat almost melted in his mouth as he dug in, feeling unusually hungry.

" _Weird, I ate quite a lot last night too, didn`t I?"_ he thought to himself as the amount of food on his plate gradually disappeared, one bite at a time. He didn`t even notice that the other students had completely stopped talking and averted their collective attention to him instead.

"Harry, I don`t mean to pry, but… aren`t you eating a little bit too much, too fast?" his fellow classmate Terry Boot asked. Harry looked from him to his plate a couple of times before realizing he had finished all his food in what must be under three minutes. A blush erupted around his neck and ears, and he shook his head in embarrassment.

"Oh, I`m sorry, I was just… hungry…" His sentence trailed off as his eyes spotted something across the hall. One of the teachers sitting up front was reading in a newspaper, which normally wouldn`t be a very unnatural sight, but the front page had caught Harry`s attention. Written in a big, black font, accompanied by a black-and-white picture of a ruined, abandoned street, were the words:

" **MYSTERIOUS FIGURE ON WILD RAMPAGE THROUGH DIAGON ALLEY"**

Everything around him seemed to slow down to a halt as Harry`s blood froze to ice in his veins. He could not talk, could not breathe and could not think. The immense feeling of helplessness overthrew every other emotion currently present in his body. He must`ve looked ridiculous, sitting there slack-jawed and with big eyes, staring at a teacher`s newspaper. But he didn`t care anymore. Nothing mattered now. He was the mysterious figure. His dream… hadn`t been a dream after all. Those people… had he… had he really killed them?

Harry could feel himself going into shock, which (needless to say) wouldn`t be a very pleasant experience for everyone else in the hall. He tried to excuse himself, to get up and away from everyone else. But he couldn`t talk. The words wouldn`t come out of his mouth, no matter how hard he tried to force them.

Everything was falling apart in his mind. He couldn`t organize his thoughts, the revelation too big for him to fully fathom. The confusion, combined with the lack of oxygen due to his rapid breathing, ultimately resulted in Harry tipping backwards and crashing hard into the ground. The other students screamed in surprise and flocked around him, blocking his field of view. He saw the scared and confused look on their faces as they stared down at him, but he didn`t mind. The walls he had built up in his mind came crumbling down, and as he yet again lost consciousness, he finally managed to push out three words:

"What… am I?"

…

 **A/N: Before you start whining about it, yes, I know this chapter was shorter than usual. But to be honest, I figured it was probably best to end it there, instead of dragging it out just for the sake of the word count. We are fast approaching 100 followers and 10,000 individual views, which is quite frankly amazing. I never expected it to go this far, especially not if you consider my awfully slow chapter schedule. As always, I cannot thank you enough, and I do hope you decide to leave a review, as it helps me grow as a writer more than you can imagine. Other than that, I will see you guys in the next chapter.**

 **-Twisted**


	10. Big Changes Are Coming

**BIG CHANGES ARE COMING**

 _ **Link here:**_

pat-reon(dot-com)/twistedfilms (replace the dots with punctuation marks and remove the - and (), had to do it this way due to the websites formatting)

It is a great day my fellow readers. I come bearing good news for all, and better times are coming. Today, I am pleased to announce that I will be opening my own Pa-treon to support my work!

Now, I do not doubt that a lot of you will have some questions as to how this will work. Some of you may even be wondering if this is legal. I will do my best to answer these questions.

I would also like to remind everyone that this is completely optional. If you do not want to support my , that is totally fine! You can read, review and enjoy my stories as much as you want without paying a penny. But if you want to help me and feel like this is something you could be interested in, then I urge you to at least check out my page for yourself! (link on top)

 **Is it legal?**

Yes, it is absolutely legal. I am operating within my full right when I do this. Allow me to explain. If I were to attempt to "sell" my fanfiction, it would be illegal. If I in any way were attempting to turn a profit on the actual content itself, it would be illegal. But I am not doing any of these things. I am simply asking for personal monetary support, for those interested in doing so.

 **The fanfiction itself will always be free and available to everyone.**

 **Why are you doing this?**

As a high school student, I have a lot of stuff to do. School comes first, so fanfiction takes a back seat. But with the support of my readers through Pa-treon, writing fanfiction will effectively become my number 1 source of monetary income, and I will be able to dedicate more time to writing new chapters. Keep in mind that all of this is completely optional, and if you would rather continue reading like you always have, then that is totally fine!

 **How will this affect the story?**

My will not affect this story negatively in any way. In fact, it will help it. By deciding to support me, you will be "locking" me down to a promise I made on my page: one chapter every week. So far, I have been very inconsistent with my chapters. But if people actually decide to support me, I will have to do good on my promise, and I will start uploading new chapters once every week, starting the 1st of June.

 **Conclusion**

The opening of my Pa-treon will not affect the quality of my story, it will simply help me write it faster, and provide me with a way to actually earn something from all the hours I put into this. If you are not interested in supporting me, that is totally fine! Ignore this entire message! But if you feel like helping ol` Twisted out, and actually have a way to directly impact the direction of the story, feel free to check out my Pa-treon! (link on top)

And that`s pretty much it from me! The next chapter will be out on June 1st, so look out for that. And I will see you guys in the next chapter!


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